Silent Hill
by fatal frame fanatic
Summary: Harry Mason is driving to the quiet resort town upon his daughter Cheryl's request when a mysterious figure steps out onto the dark highway and causes him to careen off the road. He sees later that Cheryl is missing. FINISHED! R
1. Prologue: Cheryl

s**i**LENT H**i**ll

prologue: cheryl

Harry Mason put the last suitcase into the back of his red Jeep. His wife, Lauren, got inside the passenger side. Harry looked back and gave the quiet resort town of Silent Hill one more glance before getting into the vehicle beside his wife. He started it up, and looked over at his wife.

She smiled. "We have to come back next year Harry, please."

Harry smiled and nodded his head. "Of course." He pulled out from the Toluca Lake Hotel and started down Bachman Road toward the highway. "Harry I love it here so-

HARRY LOOK!" His wife cried out and pointed to a pink bundle beside the welcoming sign to Silent Hill. Harry slammed on the brake, making himself and his wife lurch forward. She coughed. He placed an arm on her shoulder. "Are you okay? You scared me." She shrugged it off, getting out of the jeep. Lauren had been sick for several years, and was supposed to eventually kill her.

She had been going strong for several years and Harry wasn't worried in the least. Although the disease had prevented her from bearing children. He stepped out and looked over at his wife, who was cradling the pink bundle. She looked up with tears forming around her eyes.

"It's a baby girl…" She whispered. Harry looked down and saw that the infant wasn't even a year old yet.

The baby looked up at Harry with her large brown eyes and reached out toward him. Harry smiled and took the baby. He saw she had black as midnight hair to match her dark eyes. "Harry…" His wife was looking from Harry to the baby, then back.

It was a miracle. Harry and Lauren had been discussing adopting for some time now. This was a miracle. "What's her name?" Lauren asked. Harry smiled and looked back down at the now asleep and content baby. He then kissed his wife and the both shared holding the baby. He leaned over and whispered in his wife's ear.

"Her name is…Cheryl…"


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to Silent Hill!

chapter 1: welcome to silent hill

Harry buckled his sleeping seven-year-old into her car seat. "She's all I have left…" He thought sadly. Lauren's disease had taken her life four years ago, and it had left a shadow over his soul.

Cheryl often wondered where her mother was at, and it took all Harry had to simply tell her that she was waiting for her in a much happier place. A year after her death, however, Cheryl would occasionally sleepwalk, and in her unconscious state she would mumble the name Silent Hill. This troubled Harry. Surely she had been to young seven years ago to remember where she was found.

Another thing was because it was Lauren's favorite vacation spot, and told Cheryl all the great things about it from time to time. But what Harry hadn't told Cheryl or Lauren was that soon after they had left with their new child, something terrible happened at Silent Hill. A horrible fire destroyed half of the town. It was closed down for five years for repair, but now no one ever goes there. "And now I'm taking my daughter there because she wants to in her sleep…"

Harry thought. He got in the driver seat of his jeep and started up the vehicle. Going back wasn't going to be the best thing for him, but he had to. He would do anything for his daughter. He pulled out a road map.

From his home in Kentucky he could reach Toluca County in West Virginia in about an hour. He sped off onto the dark highway. Soon after he left his house and was on the dark highway surrounded by trees and lit with seldom street lamps, an attractive female police officer sped by on a motorcycle. She passed him in the other lane and sped off ahead. "Wonder what the problem is?"

He thought. Soon his mind began to wander to the last day with his wife in the hospital.

"_Mr. Mason, your wife's condition is failing her. I don't think she has much longer left. Please take your daughter and go see her before…"_

"_Lauren…"_

"_I know Harry, I know…Please take care of our Cheryl."_

"_I will hunny, of course I will."_

"_Let me see her."_

"_Mommy? When are you coming home?"_

"_I might not be home for a long time. But I promise you'll see me again soon. I'll be in a place called Heaven."_

"_How do you get to Heaven?"_

"_The closet I ever was to Heaven here was Silent Hill…"_

"_Lauren…? Lauren! We need a doctor in here!"_

Harry blinked, pushing the tears away. He then thought carefully. Lauren had said the closest to Heaven she had ever been to was Silent Hill. Was that why Cheryl wanted to go there?

He looked back at his sleeping seven-year-old. She had just had a birthday the month before. For her it meant opening presents and eating cake and having some friends over. For Harry it was a reminder of seven years ago when he found her with Lauren in Silent Hill.

He was always cheerful enough, but after Lauren passed away…He pushed the thought out of his head. Cheryl had wanted a haircut for her seventh birthday, and now her midnight colored hair was up to her shoulders. It actually looked quite good on her. He turned on the radio, but all he got was static. He turned it off. A sign went by that said _Welcome to Silent Hill: 1 mile_.

He turned back toward the road and saw the police officers motorcycle ditched to the side of the road, a large dent in the guardrail. It was a strange sight to behold since the officer was no where to be seen. He looked back ahead -

-and slammed on the brake as a young girl stepped out from the shadows and onto the road. The tires began to smoke and screech, and he felt the jeep lurch sideways and began tumbling down a hill. He felt his head slam onto the steering wheel and the last thing he remembered was Cheryl screaming his name.

"_Cheryl? Cheryl where are you…?"_

"…_Hmmm…I'll be back soon…Silent Hill…"_

"_Cheryl? Cheryl wake up! What's wrong hunny? Why did you say that?"_

"_Say what daddy? I was having a nightmare…"_

"_Silent Hill…Why did you say that Cheryl…?"_

"_I don't remember…"_

Harry awoke to a throbbing pain in his head. He could hear each heart beat reverberate in his ears. He felt something warm trickle down his temple. He reached with trembling fingers and touched the sore spot. He pulled away and saw blood on his fingers. But then something occurred to him that was worse than the pain, the blood. Cheryl. He looked over and saw the back door open, and the car seat empty.

"Cheryl? Cheryl!" He forced his door open and sluggishly stepped out onto the road. Was he going blind? Why was it so hard to see? And it was so cold. Was he dead?

"Cheryl! Where are you hunny!" He blinked several times and saw he wasn't going blind. It was extremely foggy. His vision extended to about five feet and then everything else was lost in fog. He could tell it was daylight though. It had been nighttime when he crashed, he could remember that much.

Exactly how long had he been out? And snow was falling softly. It was just cold enough to snow, but hot enough to melt it as it hit the ground. Wasn't it the month of May? Another thing that bothered him, it was so quiet, almost like a ghost town. On that thought, where was he?

He reached inside his jeep and pulled out the map. Toward the highway he had been on it was actually near a road that led into Silent Hill. It was Bachman Road. He looked around for a sign, and could vaguely see something green in the distant.

He took several steps forward and saw that he was in fact on Bachman Road. He stuffed the map in his pocket and began walking up the road. Several old buildings came into view, as well as some deserted cars on the side. A streetlight was frozen on red, and his footsteps didn't seem to have an echo.

"This town is so…different." He continued forward until he heard another set of light footsteps. He ran around the corner onto a different road. He squinted his eyes and saw the silhouette of his daughter in the fog.

"Hey Cheryl!" Seeming oblivious to his voice, Cheryl began running toward an alleyway. "Hey wait! Stop!" Harry began to pursue his daughter, running into the alley after her. Rows of garages and fenced back yards went by in a blur. He noticed that no one was around.

Was Silent Hill really deserted now after the fire? At the end it turned to a small chain linked gate. He heard the gate open and close quickly. A sign was hung on the front that said

**Beware of dog! **A putrid smell permeated from the alley. He followed after her, and almost fell face forward into a mass of…_red._ He could vaguely describe it as once being an animal of some sort, probably a dog.

It looked as though it had imploded from the inside, leaving trails of blood and gore on the wall it had been chained to. Several fragments of bone were lying around the mass of flesh and blood. He carefully stepped over the gore pool and went down the alley.

The walls suddenly came in close, only an arm length of space on each side. He continued down. Several snowflakes would drift down from the sky, which Harry noticed, was slowly getting darker. He rounded the corner and went through another small gate.

A siren then filled his ears, far away at first but it seemed to get closer. It sounded kind of like a tornado warning siren, and Harry could tell it was warning him of something. Suddenly blackness fell over the alley, and Harry had to pull out his silver butane lighter to allow his eyes to see.

His vision was now restricted to a couple of feet. Panic filled his body, and he turned and exited out of the second gate. He ran down the alley, but now saw his path was blocked by a dead end. Several barrels were piled up by the mysterious wall. Having no choice but to continue forward, he went further and further. Aside from the blaring siren, he heard a constant squeak.

He lowered his lighter and saw an overturned hospital wheelchair ominously abandoned. It had scattered blood spatters on it, and on the ground around it. "What the hell?" Harry took several more timid steps further, noticing that the random snowflakes were now rain droplets, and the air had grown hotter.

When the alley came to another right turn, he saw a bloody hospital gurney abandoned as well. Underneath the tattered yellow sheet was the outline of a body. Harry was tempted to look underneath, but knew Cheryl wouldn't be hiding there. He turned right and followed the closed in alley some more. Puddles of blood on the ground became larger and more frequent, and the brick walls were replaced by tall, barbed wire fences. Beyond the fences was blackness, and all he could hear was the siren and far off wails.

Soon the ground looked like wire fence, and gore on the walls and ground became more and more frequent. Finally the alley opened into a dead end. Several body parts and torsos were lying in the pools of blood on the ground. Gruesomely strung up on the barbed wire fence in a crucifixion style was a full body however, gutted, skinned, and covered in a thin layer of blood and slime.

"What the hell is this…? What's going on here!" A demonic wail came from behind, and he turned to face a charred looking child. Pieces of its skin had a light ember glow, and it flaked off occasionally as ash. It's face looked stretch to far, making the mouth long and odd shaped.

"What the-" He stopped as several more walked from behind it. He turned and ran back toward the exit, but saw it was now cut off by a fence. "Help me! Anyone!" Harry called out, adrenaline pumping through his veins. There was no escape. He dropped his lighter and felt blindly along the fence, shaking it as though it would fall. "Shit! Help me!" He screamed again as the tiny charred children closed in, their high pitched demonic wails filling his ears to accompany the siren.

He felt pain in his knees, and saw one of the children grabbing him. He fell to his stomach and tried to crawl away, but they all grabbed him and pulled him closer and closer to their charred bodies. He kicked, screaming dark curses as they clutched at his cloths and pulled. He screamed as loud as he could, and then his world went black.


	3. Chapter 2: Cybil Bennett

chapter 2: cybil bennett

Quietness. Coldness. Darkness.

Harry sat up straight to escape the nightmare. He blinked his eyes several times and saw a feminine figure walking toward him. She was attractive, with shoulder length blonde hair and a police outfit. "Surely I must be dead now…" He mumbled.

"How do you feel?" She asked, her voice smooth and official. She sat down on a bar stool opposite of him.

"Was that alley way just a…dream?" He thought.

"Excuse me sir, but how are you?" Harry looked up.

"Oh…Like I've been run over by a truck. I'm fine though I guess." The woman nodded.

"Glad to hear it. When I found you in that alleyway with blood at your knees, I was worried something bad had happened. Are you from around here? Why don't you tell me exactly what happened?" Harry shook his head.  
"Listen I just got here. I'm sort of on vacation with my daughter Cheryl…" He trailed off.

"Have you seen a little girl around here with short black hair, just turned seven last month." The woman shook her head.  
"I'm sorry, the only other person in this town that I've seen is you." Harry shook his head.

"You got a name?" She asked, eyeing him up and down.

"Yea, Harry Mason. My daughter's name is Cheryl."

"I'm Cybil Bennett. I'm and officer from Brahms, the next town over. I was called to come and investigate here, but the town is deserted. But I saw your jeep and looked around and finally found you in that alley. I tried to help you walk but you seemed to be sleepwalking. When I got you to this café you just passed out." Harry shook his head at the events going on. "How long have I been out?" He asked.

"Oh, a couple of hours." Harry stood up and headed toward the door.

"Hold it! Where do you think your going?" Cybil stood up as well, walking closer to him.

"My daughter, I've got to find her!" Harry said quickly, feeling a bit angry with Cybil.

"Something bizarre is going on in this town, do you even have a gun?" Harry hesitated. He hadn't shot much before, but knew how to use and handle a gun. He didn't want to tell her that though. "Ummm, no." Cybil half smiled and sighed.

She reached around to her back holster and pulled out a black standard issue police handgun. She handed it to him, but jerked it away when he reached for it. "Before you pull the trigger know who your shooting. And don't do it unless you have to. And don't, by any means, go blasting me by mistake. I'm going to go get some reinforcements. Stay close by, I'll be back as quick as I can." Harry nodded, sticking the gun in his pocket.  
"Yeah, thanks." Cybil walked pass him and headed out of the café and into the fog. Harry looked around the café. Aside from the long bar and rows of bar stools, and several coffee tables by the windows, the café was empty.

Several coffee mugs and glasses were on the bar and ground. He saw on the stool and rolled up map. He picked it up and unrolled it. It was a map of Silent Hill. He could see the café he was in, and up a few blocks was the alley Cheryl had went through.

Or so he had thought. That meant he was in the section of the town labeled Old Silent Hill. A bridge that went across a section of Toluca Lake led to Central Silent Hill, with places such as the antique shop and the Alchemilla Hospital. And then there was the Resort Area, with the amusement park, Rosewater Park, and Toluca Lake Hotel.

"Must be Cybil's…" He thought. Also among the items were a chest pocket flashlight, a kitchen knife, and some flavored medical drink. He took the map and the flashlight. With all of the items he considered useful, he headed toward the door when a loud burst of white noise filled the small café. He looked around until his eyes fell on a bright red pocket radio on one of the tables. "What's going on with that radio…?"

Harry thought. He walked over and leaned toward it. He lowered the volume a bit. CRASH! He turned and looked toward a window as glass shards went everywhere. He then heard the crash again, and felt the glass beside him crash, sending razor sharp pieces of glass flying. He covered his face, and looked around to see the cause of the window breaking.

A rock was at his feet with a note attached to it. On it written in blood was:  
Careful what you wish for

He picked up the radio and quickly headed out of the café. "Guess I'll check that alley again." He pulled out the map and saw that the café was on Bachman road, and that if he went up a block or so and turn left onto Finney Street, the alley would be there.

He tucked the map back into his pocket and headed down the street. As he walked, he realized just how alone he was, and how quiet Silent Hill was. The snow had begun again, and if anything about the fog it had only thickened.

Toward the end of the block he turned onto Finney Street and saw ahead the alleyway. He started down it when suddenly the pocket radio burst into loud white noise again. He looked around puzzled. What was causing the radio to do that?

A low growl came from in front of him, and he felt the urge to pull out the handgun Cybil had given him. When he saw something lurking in the fog ahead, he did so. Suddenly the think leapt forward, and he fell back, firing two shots. Both missed, one going into the air and the other one went into a garage door beside him. It jumped over him, and Harry saw it was some sort of…dog.

It's sinewy muscle glistened in the heavy mist, and it was impossible huge. Harry jumped up and ran forward to avoid conflict. He heard its heavy footsteps behind him, and its deep raspy breathing. He saw the little gate ahead and ran through it. He was already prepared to see the other dog's remains, but was surprised to see the beginning of the alleyway clean.

He turned to face the gate and pressed him self against the brick wall. He waited a few moments, taking some deep breaths when suddenly the dog jumped over the fence. In the split second it would take to land on Harry, he reached over and pulled and steel pipe from its place and swung it madly in front of him. He felt it connect with a sickening crack and a splatter of blood, and the thing fell down dead in front of him.

He gave it a good solid stomp before continuing down the alley. Almost halfway down though, it stopped. Somehow the brick walls had caved in, preventing further passage. "Huh…?" Harry looked around in bewilderment. On the ground in a small pool of blood were a handful of handgun bullets, and several scraps of paper. Harry sucked in his breath sharply as he saw what it was.

It was Cheryl's sketchbook she had brought with her on the trip. He had given it to her on her fifth birthday. There was a doodle of a person on the front, and Harry knew Cheryl had drawn it to be him. Beside the sketchbook was a loose piece of paper. On it was Cheryl's handwriting that said to school. "Humm, she's at the school…"

Gripping the steel pipe, he headed back out of the alley and onto Finney Street. He pulled out the map, and saw toward the bottom left was a rather large square labeled Midwich Elementary School. Harry saw he could walk a few blocks onto Levin Street and take a right and go down Matheson Street onto Midwich Street and just follow that street to the school.

He placed the map back into his pocket and headed down the block. A red Chevrolet car came into view. He had a bit of hope, and opened the door to find that the keys were still in the ignition. He tried to start the vehicle, but it was completely dead.

He continued on to Levin Street and saw halfway past a small neighborhood the road was just…gone. An endless foggy abyss was beyond the endless void of the broken road. "But…how?" He could only imagine that the snow flakes that fell down there would fall forever. "This town…what happened seven years ago…?" He looked over to his right and saw that some of the houses continued over to Midwich Street.

"But to get there I better hope some of the houses are unlocked." Harry thought disappointedly. He went back onto Levin Street to the quiet little neighborhood. He tried the first house, a small yellow house with closed and locked shutters. The front door was no difference. He tried the next door, and then the next. As he neared the fourth, his radio blared some more white noise. He instinctively rose his steel pipe as he saw another dog shadow step out from a doghouse.

He saw it raise its twisted snout and sniff the air and start running toward Harry. He brought the pipe down, and caught it in the creatures behind. It yelped, and Harry couldn't help to feel a little sorry for it. It turned and charged at Harry again. He raised the pipe and brought it down in another powerful swing. This time it connected with the things skull, and it fell down in spasms of pain. Harry reared back and kicked it in the head, killing the monster.

Harry walked up and tried the front door, but it was locked as well. Harry sighed and walked down off the porch. As he passed in front of the doghouse he saw something glinting off the fog. He knelt down and saw that the entire doghouse was covered in a thin layer of…gore. He braced himself and reached inside and pulled out the object.

It was a house key. He wiped off his hands and smiled, then walked back up to the door and tried the key. It turned smoothly and the door unlocked. He stepped inside the house, and actually noticed that the house seemed to be less quiet than the entire town itself. He sighed again, and slid down to his knees. "Cheryl, where are you? What's going on here…?"

He wiped the beads of perspiration away from his forehead and took a deep breath. There was a coatroom beside him, and ahead was a hallway with a door on the right wall. The hall opened up with a living room/dining room to the right and ahead were the kitchen, a bar, and a back door.

He walked down the hall and looked around. There was no dust on anything, which probably meant the house hadn't been abandoned for long. He saw a calendar on the wall above the TV, and saw it was a calendar with the date from seven years before. "Odd…" He thought. He walked around to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, but saw it was empty. He turned the faucet, and nothing came out. Harry sighed again, and walked over to the back door.

It was chain locked from the inside, and he opened the lock. He stepped outside to the back yard. To his right were a white picnic table and several lawn chairs. He didn't have time to see much else because the sky began to go dark, and pretty soon everything was pitch black and the snow stopped. It didn't turn to rain though. He reached inside his chest pocket and turned on the flashlight. He walked by the table and went through the little wooden gate.

This led to a small alleyway. He pulled out his map and saw if he turned left and left the alley he would be on Midwich Street and he could just walk down the few block and there was the school. He tucked the map away and went down and left the alley. He heard his radio begin emitting noise again, but it was so quiet the monster must be far away. He ran down Midwich Street, to afraid to stop with darkness all around him. Finally he reached a tiled walkway, and saw a large stone sign etched with the words

Midwich Elementary School

Harry saw a broken down bus parked by the sidewalk as though it was ready to load kids. It made Harry uneasy, and he just bypassed the bus and headed up the walkway. As the flashlight brought the massive building into view, Harry hesitated. The structure was huge and very old style. It was built like an old hospital, and he wouldn't have been surprised that it might have been at one time.

The large wooden double doors sat in place, and a small ruffle of wind sounded like the school was calling his name. Harry shivered, and felt the piece of paper in his pocket that had read "to school."

"Cheryl…" He thought solemnly. Building some more will power, he walked up slowly to the huge elementary school, ignoring every warning going through his mind.


	4. Chapter 3: Midwich Elementary School

chapter 3: midwich elementary school

The thick wooden doors slammed closed with a resounding bang. There was no turning back now. Harry took in his surroundings. It was a lobby type area, with cushioned wooden benches along each side of the walls.

Several school bulletins were posted up, along with some drawings by the children and a map of the first and second floors. Harry took the tack out from the map and folded it with the map of Old Silent Hill. He went through the next set of double doors that led to a hallway filled with lockers.

The Infirmary was to his left and a lounge was to his right. He walked to the Infirmary, but stopped at the office before he went in. Several books were laid out but un-readable because of the caked on blood. He tried to scrape it off with his fingernail but saw it was only ruining the books.

He left it alone and went on inside the Infirmary. The school itself was in moderate shape, with the paint flaking occasionally in places and the windows were broken or boarded up, letting in some light. The Infirmary had some over stuffed chairs and a junky medicine cabinet. He searched through them but didn't find much of anything. As he turned to leave he saw on the wall was an old yellowed painting.

It was in terrible taste. It was of an old metal door, with two cages on each side. In each cage was human outlines with barbed wire strung throughout their bodies. The door itself didn't have a keyhole or a handle, but a small peephole in the middle of the door.

Harry shivered. The walls in the picture looked like they were covered in blood and rust, and the cages were old rusty mesh wire. Kind of like how the environment looked in the alley way after the gruesome transformation. He left the Infirmary and stood in the hall, examining the map. The school was huge, with many classrooms and several restrooms. In the middle of the first floor was the courtyard.

He decided to check there. Outside the air was still lukewarm, with the gently falling snow. Hedges lined around the outside with several weak looking wooden benches. In the corner of the courtyard however, was a massive clock tower that easily stood several stories higher than the school building.

The clock itself wasn't working, the hands stopped at 11:14pm. He walked up to it and saw there was a small door at the bottom. He pulled on the handle and saw that it was locked. He tried to peer to the keyhole but only saw a ladder that went down. He stood back up and sighed.

What the hell was he doing? Where was Cheryl? "Cheryl hunny! Are you here!" He called out, not really expecting an answer. He walked to the opposite side of the courtyard and entered the school through a different door. Here the corridor looked the same, lined with lockers and such. A locker room was here, along with a music room and another lobby area.

He went into the other lobby, and saw at the end a huge cooling fan. It wasn't on and it was behind several metal bars, but it didn't feel safe, for children anyway. Satisfied that the room was totally empty, he left this area and checked the locker room. "Cheryl?" He said quietly.

A banging made his heart jump and he looked around. These lockers weren't the type that lined the halls, but rather were gym style lockers. He heard the rustling again at the end of the room, and walked cautiously over to the end set of lockers. The last one had a loose hinge, and would rattle occasionally. Could Cheryl fit in one? He walked up to it slowly and placed his hand on it, the grip on the pipe in the other hand increasing. He sucked in his breath-

-and the door opened before he pulled, and an orange tabby cat jumped out. Harry laughed at his fear, letting his breath out. "Just a stupid cat Harry, get a grip…" He heard the soft padding of the cats feet on the concrete floor until it suddenly hissed violently, and a strange growl followed by an odd wet sound filled the room. Harry jumped again, and ran over to the other side.

No sign of the cat was to be found. This disturbed Harry. He left the locker room. As soon as he did the door to the courtyard closed, and he saw the figure of a little girl running across the courtyard. "Cheryl!" He began to pursue her, running back outside and into the other corridor. A door to a classroom closed as he entered, and he followed what appeared to be Cheryl.

As he entered the classroom, the radio began to emit the high pitched static again. He didn't see anything, but heard the shuffling steps of something small, and close. He then looked down and stumbled back as he saw several of the burnt children he had seen in the nightmarish alleyway walking toward him. They scream, their mouths stretched open across their face, the skin stretched tightly.

The beady little white eyes searched for Harry through the disfigured face. He rose the pipe, and crushed the first one. A second was running freakishly fast from underneath a desk, and he stuck out his foot. It grabbed on, pulling with more strength than he expected.

He began to shake his leg around as a third came from underneath the teacher's desk. He hit the third one with the pipe, and sent it squealing across the room. He then brought his foot down, crushing the second one's legs. He then kicked it again, it's body dissipating in ash and blood. The third one came again, giggling in a freakish voice. This time it had a dissecting knife. He readied himself as it came at him, and then pulled out the handgun and shot several shots into the small body.

It screamed, falling into another pile of ash and blood. Harry took several deep breaths. "This is not a dream…what's happening to this place?" He whispered quietly. On the teachers desk was a note, written by a K. Gordon. Apparently one of the teachers. He picked it up and read it.

**_I'm concerned about one of my students, Alessa. She comes to school with bruises on her body and is always taunted by the students, being called a witch and such. I think we should check into her home conditions._**

He shook his head and darted across the classroom. A desk caught his eye and he slowed to a stop, backing up to the desk. Everything was covered in dust, but this desk had two handprints on it, outlined in dust. Scratched into the desk were the words

GO home

WITCH

Drop Dead

The desk puzzled Harry, and carefully he opened it. Inside were several discarded crayons and some textbooks. On the cover of an old folder was some info on the student who had sat at the desk.

**Name: Alessa**

**Hometown: Silent Hill**

**School: Midwich Elementary**

Harry looked at the book in thought. "Alessa…?" He whispered. He heard a door close in the distance, and dropped the desk and his thoughts were immediately transferred back to Cheryl.He ran out of the classroom and saw the door to the girls bathroom close.

"Wait! Cheryl!" He ran to the door and burst through. Immediately he heard a soft sobbing. "Hey, its me, daddy. Cheryl just come out…" Harry walked to the first stall and kicked it open. Nothing was inside but a tainted toilet. Harry checked the next stall, and then the next. Finally he came to one that was shut firmly. This was the last stall. "Cheryl?"

He pushed harder, and then reared back and gave the door a hard kick. It slammed open, the loud squeak echoing in the bathroom. He almost wished he hadn't bothered to open it. Inside was a horrific scene of torture. A man was strung up with barbed wire, his feet bent back and tied to his head, the barbed wire wrapped around his eyes to his feet, securing his feet in place. His arms were outstretched, the barbed wire deep in his wrist's.

The wire was also wrapped around his white torso. What was left of his clothing suggested he might have been the janitor. Written on the wall behind him was

dare you dare you double dare you and an arrow pointing at his mouth. Harry gagged. The stench alone was putrid, but the ritualistic style pose and death were enough to make anyone gag. The skin was peeling in places and shriveling in others. He looked closer at the mouth and saw the end of a key. "No way…" He said breathlessly.

Harry was by no means a coward, but this was one word, _gross._ He built up every last nerve and took a step inside the stall, setting the pipe down. He reached forward and made sure he was heading for the mouth, then closed his eyes and reached forward. He felt the key, and his thumb grazed the dry, rough lip of the corpse. He pulled away, cursing darkly.

"Damnit Harry you can do this!" He told himself. He reached forward again, this time keeping his eyes focused on the key. He grabbed it again, and pulled back quickly. A piece of barbed wire cut his hand as he pulled away, but Harry didn't care. He examined the key. It was an old skeleton key with a tattered tag on the end.

He could make out "Clock Tower". Harry smiled and stuck it in his pocket, picked up the lead pipe and headed quickly out of the bathroom. He took in a long breath of somewhat fresh air. He walked over to the door to the courtyard and went outside, leaving the stale air of the school. He walked over to the clock tower and inserted the key. It turned easily, and Harry smiled with satisfaction. He opened the door and broke through the cobwebs.

He turned on the chest pocket flashlight and looked down the ladder. It descended into darkness. He dropped the lead pipe, and after a second or two heard it hit the bottom. Harry lowered himself down and started down the ladder. After what seemed like an eternity his feet hit solid ground again. He picked up the pipe, and saw that this area looked older than the school, with trash scattered about. Harry walked forward, and saw opposite the ladder he came down was another one going up.

He stepped toward it, looking up. It looked exactly the same. Suddenly, he heard the siren again. Far away at first, but it steadily grew louder. "Just like before…" Harry gripped the pipe and started up the ladder, unaware of the nightmare that awaited him.


	5. Chapter 4: Alternate Midwich Elementary

chapter 4: alternate midwich elementary

Harry pushed on the door, which was covered in rust. He had to lower his head because of the low ceiling. He pushed the door again, and it broke open. Harry stepped outside. It was dark now, and the snow was replaced by rain. The concrete of the courtyard was now wire mesh.

"Oh fuck…" Harry said quietly. He was back at the school, only it looked different. The brick was cracked and broken. The windows were all boarded up. Both sets of double doors were now large, metal, and completely covered in rust and blood. In the middle of the courtyard was a large symbol that was a large circle and in the middle was a triangle with different symmetrical designs around the outside of the circle and inside the triangle.

"This wasn't here before…" Harry whispered in question. He pulled out the map of the school, hoping the floors and design plans of the school still matched the map. Harry shook his head. In all of his 32 years of living he has never seen anything like the events that had happened to him since arriving in Silent Hill. He decided he would try the front doors.

He rushed out of the courtyard and back into the hallway. He sucked his breath in as his eyes took in the surroundings. The tiled floor was now rusty wire, with blackness beyond that. The walls were yellow and rust stained, with dried, black blood splotches here and there. It was incredibly dark to, his flashlight giving him his only vision. The lockers now were all dark brown and rusty instead of blue. The ceiling to was wire, and he jumped as something wailed in the distance.

His radio emitted low static, and Harry just realized. He was terrified. More terrified than he had ever been in his entire life. Midwich had just turned into a living hell, now he was hearing demonic screams in the distance and the building had just transformed into a decaying place of death…of nightmares.

His worse nightmare was Disneyland to what Silent Hill had thrown at him. The shriek came again, closer and he darted to the doors leading to the lobby. As he struggled to close the door, he stopped. The lobby was now just a tiny wire walkway to the front doors, littered with hospital equipment. Dirty syringes with caked on pus, overturned hospital gurneys, broken wheelchairs, and bloody dolls in nurse outfits.

"What the hell? That shit belongs in a hospital…" Harry said out loud. He took his pipe and pushed some of the stuff away, letting it fall on both sides of the walkway. He stepped over one of the wheel chairs, and pushed the gurney down to. He reached the front doors and pulled on them. They were shut firmly. He cursed darkly, and pulled on them again.

"Shit…c'mon!" He said quickly, pulling on the double doors again. He kicked the doors, and wiped the rust off of his hands. A sound close-by made him freeze.

It sounded extremely heavy, like metal scraping against metal. Following the screeches were heavy footsteps of something big….something _close_. He took several steps forward, and peered through a crack in the door. He held his breath, and had to stop himself from screaming. It was a creature from the nightmare no doubt, but it resembled a human.

It easily stood seven feet tall. From its waist down it was covered by a yellowed, bloody apron, almost like you'd see a butcher wear. It was leathery looking, like it was made of human skin. Its upper torso was extremely muscular, with muscles on its chest and stomach that Harry didn't even knew existed. And it was no surprise the thing was so strong.

In its right hand was a giant sword, easily the length of the creature and at least half its weight. It was double bladed and was covered in blood. And instead of a head a large metal pyramid shaped helmet was the crowning horror. It was pointed and engulfed his head, if he even had one. Harry was immediately more terrified of this new monster. It took another step, dragging the sword behind him. He saw the bulging arm muscles flex as the pyramid headed creature dragged it. Harry took several steps back-

-and his heart stopped as his foot hit a wheel chair. The loud clang seemed to bust his ear drums cause a long drawn out silence followed. Harry hated wheel chairs now. For a second he thought that maybe the creature didn't have ears and couldn't hear him. He was quickly mistaken as the sword pierced the door and came inches from his face. He backed up to the double doors. Either the sword was longer than he thought, or the room was smaller. There was a terrible screech as the pyramid creature pulled the sword out of the door. Harry covered his ears.

"Oh shit…shit shit shit shit shit!" He looked around in panic. There was no where to go. He picked up a spare piece from the wheel chair and swung it against the front doors. They barely moved. He hit it again, and the wheel chair broke. Harry then saw another option. Falling into the blackness and hope it wasn't too far. The creature drove his sword into the door again, this time twisting it to make a hole. Harry pulled the handgun out, and aimed it at the door. The monster stuck his hand in, feeling around. He shot several times, hitting the thing's arm once. It then went to the door handle and opened the door, ripping the huge rusted metal off its hinges. "No fucking way…" Harry thought. He stuck the gun back in his pocket, tossed the pipe down into the blackness, and leaped off after the pipe.

After falling several feet Harry hit the ground. It wasn't as far as he looked, but it still hurt like hell when he landed. He tried his hardest to land on his ass or feet, but it was a mix of both. Now he had to walk with a small limp. "Better than being shish-ka-bobbed by that thing." Harry thought.

"I wonder what the hell that thing was…?" He sat there for a moment thinking, until finally deciding to call it Pyramid Head. He winced as he stood up, using his pipe as a sort of cane. He looked around. It looked like he was in the basement.

He pulled out the map and looked around. Even though everything was decayed and alternate, the design plan did match that of the basement of the school. Harry smiled at that fact. So to his left would be the boiler room and up ahead would be a storage room and an employee restroom. Above him he could still faintly hear Pyramid Head dragging his sword.

Oddly enough his radio didn't emit static when he had attacked Harry. He tried the door to the boiler room, and it was locked. He sighed and continued forward. The next two doors were jammed and impossible to go through. He started up the stairs, all his senses going haywire. He was initially dreading Pyramid Head, but saw he was opposite that wing of the front doors.

He sighed, hoping he'd never see that thing again. As soon as this relief went through him, his radio emitted the white noise. He looked down the hall, and noticed that the floor was…_moving_.

He breathed out quickly, and saw it basically looked like mutant cockroaches. They were the size of his palm, and were making odd croaking noises. In the middle of the floor was a wheelchair and in the wheelchair was a yellow card of some sort. Problem was the bugs were swarming around the bottom.

He decided it wasn't worth his time and entered the Infirmary to his right. His gaze immediately fell to the wall on his right. Instead of the grotesque picture of the odd door he had seen earlier, the door was _actually_ there, a cage on each side and all. He groaned, thinking that somehow they would come to life.

Now that he had a better view, he saw it wasn't a peep-hole in the middle of the door, but a horizontal slot. "Shit…" He said breathlessly, only instead of a curse it sounded like a plea. Apparently the card in the wheelchair was the way to open the door. But outside he couldn't see the other side of the door, it looked just like the rest of the decayed wall. He pushed on the door, and it moved a little. "What the hell?" He exited the Infirmary and his radio began acting up again. He turned toward the wheelchair, and the flashlight fell on the bugs. It seemed like they all froze-

-and then began a quick march toward Harry. He took two massive steps forward, hearing and feeling then pop and squish under his weight. Some latched onto his foot and began a stride up to his crotch. He yelped and began shaking his legs, almost like some sick dance. He wanted to laugh, but the bugs were quickly overcoming him. He reached forward and grabbed the card-

-and the bugs just cleared, spreading out every which way. It suddenly grew very quiet, and this was more unsettling than the bugs. And then he heard it to, even felt the vibrations. Up ahead, obscured by darkness came the long, terrible metal on metal screech of the giant sword Pyramid Head had been carrying. Harry didn't wait until he saw it, he just darted back into the Infirmary.

"Oh God no no no no no…" His mind began screaming in panic. Aside from some deteriorated couches and rotten medicine cabinets, there was no where to go in here. He hoped this weird door just led somewhere. He inserted the card, and heard something click, and then throughout the walls heard the sound of gears shifting. He pushed on the door again, and it flew open.

He closed it, hoping Pyramid Head couldn't get this door open. He looked around and felt his stomach sink into his knees. It only led to a bathroom. At the opposite end was on stall, barely visible in the darkness. Beside him was a sink. He walked over and turned the faucet. It groaned, and then rust colored water came pouring out. After a second however the water had a slimy texture, and was the color of blood. Something else came out. He turned off the skanky liquid and picked it up.

It was a key. It was old and rusted and looked like it was ready to break. Etched on it was "Boiler". Harry smiled again and stuck the key in his pocket. Something crashed in the stall, and he saw it was the door. "Oh my…" His eye's widened. The janitor he had seen in the bathroom in the normal school was here…only now he was moving. He was still in his deformed, twisted pose, dragging himself along the ground as he tied up feet bobbed by his head. His tongue lapped around his mouth like a snake trying to smell something. "Waaahh!"

He wailed, his voice deep, gravely, and scarred by death. It made Harry shiver. The janitor monster reached out and grabbed the wall, and a putrid red stain spread from his hand. Harry stumbled backward, reaching blindly toward the odd door unable to take his eyes from the corpse he was sure was dead twenty minutes ago. He opened it, expecting the Infirmary and Pyramid Head waiting on him, but instead he stumbled out into a hallway. "What the hell…!"

There were lockers lining the hallway, with several doors as well. He heard the creature call out again, and he ran down the hall, the flashlight moving around wildly, making his vision blurry as hell.

He stopped at the end, breathing in and out heavily. He pulled out the map, checking each floor. Where he was at resembled the second floor. Harry didn't even start to wonder why he was on the second floor. He quickly checked the two closest doors, which were a classroom and a library. The library was jammed, but the classroom opened. Inside, several rotten desks were strung to the ceiling with rusty barbed wire.

On the teachers desk was a blue phone. "Very out of place…" Harry whispered. He turned and walked back across the classroom to the door he had entered in when suddenly a ringing from behind terrified him. He let out a small yell, followed by dark curses. He stormed over to the phone and picked it up and slowly brought it to his ear. The voice that followed made his heart swell with sadness and determination.

"Daddy…help me…Daddy, where are you!"

"CHERYL!"

Harry cried out. There was a click followed by a dial tone. Harry slammed the receiver down and saw that the cord to the phone was dangling off the desk. "Damnit Cheryl, where are you!" He said aloud, promising that if some creep had his daughter…He pushed the thought away, he needed to stay clear-headed.

With the boiler room key he really wanted to go back down to the basement, but didn't want to run into Pyramid Head, or the swarm of bugs. He walked carefully down the steps, looking around. His radio erupted, and immediately he expected Pyramid Head. Instead, several of the gray children were scrambling toward him.

The charred skin glowed dimly, the ember light almost peaceful. He hit the first one twice, successfully hitting it both times. It wailed, falling into a pile of ash. He then heard the dark wails for several more, and was frightened at the thought of how many lurked in the darkness. So instead he made a run for the steps leading to the basement. He glanced over and saw at least twelve stumbling toward him, reaching out with their Nosferatu-like fingers.

He almost tripped on the metal steps, the echo of his footsteps in his ears. In the basement he quickly looked around for the boiler room. He spotted it and pulled out the rusty key. He inserted into the lock with a little struggle. The door opened roughly, the key breaking in the lock. He closed the door, and saw the room was about the size of a large walk in closet.

He pulled on the door, but found it firmly locked. "Shit the key!" He yelled, kicking the door in anger. Maybe, by some wonderful miracle Cybil would come by and get him out. "Wonder how Cybil is…She probably thinks I'm still at the café…" He thought sadly.

Also, did she even see this twisted alternate world? Harry slid to his knees, placing his face in his palms. He saw a tattered book on the ground, and noticed it was from his favorite childhood fairy tale. He had even read it to Cheryl. He smiled, but was a little unsettled at why it was in this room. It belonged in the library if any place. The title was **_"The Monster Lurks"_** Harry smiled and picked it up. The book opened up to a page near the end. Harry was compelled to read it.

**Hearing this, the hunter armed with bow and arrow said, "I will kill the Lizard." But upon meeting his opponent, he held back, taunting, " Who's afraid of a Reptile". At this the furious Lizard hissed, "I'll swallow you in a single bite!" then, the huge creature attacked, jaws open wide. This was what the man wanted. Calmly drawing his bow, he shot into the Lizards gaping mouth. Effortlessly the arrow flew, piercing the defenseless maw. And the Lizard fell down dead.**

He finished the last line and the floor seemed to shake, and it began to slowly descend. He dropped the book, looking around wildly. Wire gratings went by in a blur, and Harry pressed himself against the back of the hidden elevator to keep his balance.

Finally it stopped, and an odd silence filled the room. A metal prison style door was in front of him, and he was hesitant to just wait and see if it would go back up. But then he remembered the door was locked, and at least down here he could maybe find stairs. He opened the door, and beyond was just blackness. His flashlight didn't help to much, so he concluded the room was fairly large. He took a step out, and the door closed and he heard the elevator start ascending.

He turned and started banging on the door. "No! Fuck stop!" He screamed at the elevator. He turned back around, feeling like a cornered animal. There was an ember glow in the middle of the huge room, and it was slowly getting bigger. Harry pressed himself against the door, wishing and praying the elevator would come back down.The ember glow developed into fire, and light filled the dark wire cavern.

Harry's eyes soon became fixated on the fire in the middle of the room. A body was strung up in a mummified fashion, and the flames were starting to engulf it. Harry got a little closer, and saw it was of a young girl! "What the…" He was cut off by a monstrous footstep, and then a deep, low growl. He looked around, pulling the handgun from his belt.

"What the hell was that?" He said aloud, looking around quickly. Something _massive_ stepped from behind the burner, which was smoking now that the body was on fire, and the smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils. The monstrous thing stepped into the light of the fire, and Harry swore his heart stopped. It looked like a Komodo Dragon, only the size of the trailer.

He couldn't spot eyes, but there was white foamy drool around what he could vaguely see was a mouth. He immediately raised his weapon and fired four shots, connecting with the monster.

It did an odd howl, and Harry was worried that he had only pissed it off. He kept backing up, pumping with lead. Finally it stopped moving, growling continuously, drool pouring from the mouth. While it was stopped, Harry removed the clip from the handgun and reloaded some bullets into it. Suddenly, the giant lizard rushed toward Harry, and he stumbled backward as the thing nudged him with its snout-

-and suddenly the mouth Harry had thought he had saw split open vertically, revealing an eight foot gaping hole of saliva, slime, and teeth. It howled and went down to swallow Harry. But in this instant Harry remembered the fairy tale for some odd reason.

"_Effortlessly the arrow flew, piercing the defenseless maw. And the Lizard fell down dead."_

Harry raised the handgun and shot several times into the gaping jaw of the monster. Its tiny four legs seemed to collapse, and Harry had to roll out of the things way so it could fall down. The fire in the middle of the chamber was slowly dying, and Harry could hear the siren in the distance.

The chamber grew darker and darker. The siren blared loud as ever, until silence. Harry looked around, the flashlight giving him minimal light to such a large chamber. He made out a figure propped against the decayed wall. It looked over and noticed him to, and it stood up.

Harry saw it was a young girl, maybe around the age of 14, wearing old time school cloths. It was a navy blue dress with white cuffs around the neck.

Her black hair was short, and she actually resembled Cheryl… "Huh…?" Harry breathed slowly. Suddenly the girl smiled, and his flashlight went out. "Hey wait!" Harry called out. He hit the on/off switch several times on his flashlight until it came back on.

The girl was no where to be seen, and everything looked normal. Instead of the fire contraption in the middle of the room, he saw a….boiler! "What the…What's going on…Who in the hell was that?" Harry quickly headed over to the door and left the boiler room.

Sure enough, he was back in the basement of Midwich Elementary School. He hurried up the steps. In the far distance he heard the repeated ding of a church bell.

"Who's ringing that bell…?" Harry pulled out the map to Old Silent Hill and looked around. Across the road on Bradbury Street was the Balkan Church. He stuffed the map back in his pocket and went over to the double doors leading to the outside world.

He pulled on the door, and sure enough it opened. Harry took several steps outside and then broke into a run, wanting to get as far away from Midwich Elementary as possible.


	6. Chapter 5: Balkan Church

chapter 5: balkan church

It was old fashioned, with gray bricks and a large cross on the top, signaling a Baptist Church. It was a small church for a small town. The bell had already stopped ringing, but whoever it was hadn't had time to leave the church yet. He opened up the doors. It was small like he'd though, with several rows of pews. At the opposite end was a bronze depiction of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. In front of the altar was the figure of an old woman. She turned as the doors to the church closed.

She moved her bottom jaw, as though she was chewing something and popped her neck. She was wearing a brown wool Shaw and a tattered veil like article that pulled her salt and pepper colored hair up. Some strays had fallen along the side of her face. She was wearing an ugly white skirt and old house looking shoes. Her face was lined with wrinkles, and dark circles outlined her gray eyes. "Were you ringing that bell?" Harry asked.

"I've been expecting you. It was foretold by Gyromancy." She said slowly, her voice old and withered. "What are talking about?" Harry asked in question.

"I knew you'd come. You're here for the girl," she smiled, "right?"

"The girl…! You're talking about Cheryl?" He took several steps forward, thinking that this old hag was the one who had his daughter. "You know something damnit, tell me!"

The old woman stuck her hand out. "Stay back! Nothing will be gained from floundering about at random. You must follow the path." Harry shook his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about, just tell me where I can find my little girl." He said slowly, willing anger to stay tucked away. The old woman continued however.

"The path of the hermit, concealed by the Flauros." She pulled out a fist sized Pyramid shaped object. It vaguely resembled Pyramid Head's helmet. She turned it and set it on the altar. "Here, the Flauros, a cage of peace." She turned back to face him. "Make haste to the hospital before its to late!" With those words, she turned and headed toward the confessional door. "Wait, don't go!" Harry called out, but she was already gone. He pulled out the map while staring strait ahead in thought. "Who was that? What is Gyromancy?" He shook his head and looked around.

A hospital was no where in site in Old Silent Hill. He looked over to the Central Silent Hill section of the map, which included the attractions part. Finally near the bottom he saw two words that made his heard jump. **Alchemilla Hospital**

He smiled. Is Cheryl really there? He tucked the map away and walked to the altar and picked up the object she had called Flauros. It was rather heavy and an odd bronze colored. It would only fit in his jacket pocket. Also on the altar was a drawbridge key. He stuck it in his pocket, and left the chilly church. He could just keep going right and would go over the bridge that leads to the shopping district. He started walking, wondering what time it was.

His watched had stopped at 11:30 p.m., the time the crash happened apparently. The streets of Silent Hill were so quiet, and the buildings were large and ominous, vague in the thick fog. "I wonder where the fire happened…" Harry whispered aloud. On his way he saw a broken gun shop. Everything was in a state of clutter, but he managed to scrounge up some handgun bullets. Finally he reached the bridge, but it was raised for ferries. A drawbridge tower was located to the right. He walked over to hit and headed up inside. It was very disassembled, with trash scattered about.

A large contraption was at the opposite end. Buttons were everywhere, but only two things interested Harry. A slot for a key with a sign underneath that read _Drawbridge Key_ and beside it was a lever that said _Lower bridge_ He inserted the key, and the thing sprung to life, lights flashing and message popping up on the monitors. He pulled the lever down, and he saw ahead out of the lookout window the bridge go down and disappear into the fog.

He chuckled and headed out of the tower and onto the bridge. "If only cars worked…" He thought, tired of running all over Silent Hill. Finally he reached the shopping district. Instead of quaint old houses, small churches, schools, and everyday resort town things that were located in Old Silent Hill, there were discount stores, motels, hospitals, super centers, police stations, Town Hall, and malls.

On up past Central Silent Hill was the amusement area, with the Lakeside Amusement Park, lighthouse, Rosewater Park, and things like that. If he took a right onto Crichton Street he could make it to Alchemilla Hospital. He put the map away and began jogging down toward the hospital. His radio started going off, and he saw several of the monster dogs sleeping near an old willow tree.

He went past the quietly and undetected. As he neared the hospital, he saw the road disappear in the back. He walked to the back of the hospital and saw as soon as the building ended, the road was completely obliterated. Harry shuddered at the thought of being inside the hospital and it tumbling into the foggy abyss. He went back around to the front gates. A large sign hung on each of the gothic metal gates with a red cross.

Alchemilla Hospital

Harry pushed them open and walked up to the front doors.

"Please God, let Cheryl be here…" He whispered.


	7. Chapter 6: Alchemilla Hospital

chapter 6: alchemilla hospital

Everything in Silent Hill was bland, like a town deserted for years should look. The fog made colors seem desaturated, paints peel, and everything is quiet as death. So was the hospital. It was done in shades of forest green and the woods were a cherry red.

Several waiting chairs lined the walls, done in the same colors. The reception desk was to his right. For curiosity he rang the bell. It didn't seem to have an echo. It was a little unsettling. A map was lying spread out on the desk. He picked it up and added it with the map of Silent Hill. He then jumped as a gun was fired nearby. His hope flared. "Maybe its Cybil…" He thought.

He walked around the reception desk. Double doors were at the end of the short hall that lead to a wing with restrooms and stairs and a single door was to his right that led to the examination room. He went through it. As he stepped in, he saw a tiny pool of blood coming from an odd parasite looking thing. It was lying at someone's feet. He looked up.

It was a man in a gray suit that looked around the age of fifty. His eyes had deep wrinkles underneath them, and he was slumped in the chair with a revolver in one hand. He looked up as Harry entered, and he immediately was on his feet, the gun in Harry's face. "Wait, don't shoot!"

Harry yelped, raising his hands in defense. "Keep talking." The man said in a deep, gravely tone. "My name is Harry Mason, I came here for a vacation." The man lowered his gun and slumped back into the chair, looking even more tired than before. "Thank God, another human being."

Harry lowered his hands and knelt down beside the man. "Do you work at this hospital?" He asked, looking into the mans eyes, which looked older than he did. "Yeah, I'm Dr. Michael Kaufmann." Harry smiled.

"Okay, so maybe you can tell me what the hell is going on?" Kaufmann shook his head.

"I was taking a nap in the staff room. When I woke up everything was like this."

"Well, have you seen a little girl around here? She's wearing a blue and white plaid dress and a sweater underneath. She has short black hair, brown eyes, and only seven years old. It's my daughter. I wrecked my car when I got here. When I came to she was gone."

Kaufmann shook his head. "No I haven't, I'm sorry. But with all these monsters…" Harry hung his head. Kaufmann placed a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you." He said. "But look at that." He pointed at the tiny monster. "Have you ever seen such abberations? Ever even _heard_ of such things? You and I both know monsters don't exist." Harry nodded. Kaufmann stood up and reached down and picked up a brown leather briefcase. "Your wife, she's here with you?" He asked while he was bent over.

"She died four years ago. It's just me and my daughter." Harry said, trying to keep the pain out of his voice. Kaufmann straightened up. "I see, I'm sorry." He took a step past Harry.

"I have some things to do and then I'm leaving town. Good luck Harry."

"Yeah, you to." Harry said, and the doctor was gone. He had no idea why he didn't tell Kaufmann all the roads were gone. The room was all dirty white tiles with a single hospital bed and an IV dropper. Harry, finding nothing interesting in this room, left the room and went into a second wing of the hospital. Both restrooms were locked, along with the office, storeroom, and doctor's office.

The kitchen opened however. It was a large, typical kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and was glad to see that it worked and had several chocolate flavored medical drinks.

He took one and opened it up. It was by far not the best thing he had never drank, but it cured his dry throat. Along the sink were several clear squeeze bottles. He left the kitchen and went into the room beside the kitchen, which was the Director's Room. It was in a terrible state of disassembly.

Cabinet doors were open, books were lying across the floor, chairs were flipped over, a desk was flipped, and the window was smashed, allowing a slight breeze to enter the room. He walked over to the desk and saw shattered glass and a blood colored liquid. He knelt down, noting how the liquid was spread out from the glass. It looked smashed on purpose. It had an odd smell to it.

He stood up, wondering how he could take it with him.

He left the Director's Room and went back into the kitchen, grabbing one of the squeeze bottles. He returned, kneeling down and squeezing what he could of the unknown liquid. He raised it up to the light. It looked thinner than blood but had the same color and texture of it. He stuck the plastic bottle into his pocket and left the Director's Room. The two doors left was the basement staircase door and the elevator. He walked over and hit the call button. The elevator didn't respond. He tried the door to the staircase. It opened.

At the bottom of the steps was a door barely visible in the shadows. Why in the hell did it get so dark? He headed down the steps, opening the door to the basement.

He turned on the flashlight and checked the map. There was a morgue, a storeroom, a boiler room, and a generator room. Harry didn't care if the door to the morgue was open or not, he didn't want to go inside that room.

The storeroom lock was jammed and the boiler room was locked. The generator room however opened easily. Inside was chilly, and the machinery wasn't on. It powered Intensive Care rooms, service elevators, heat, lights, and the public elevators. He turned it on, and it immediately roared to life. Satisfied, he left the generator room and he tried the service elevator. The doors opened.

"Yes!" Harry whispered. He stepped inside. He had already checked the first floor, so he hit the second floor button. After a few seconds the elevator stopped and he stepped out. This was a small room with a couch and double doors, which were jammed. He entered the elevator and hit the third floor button. Again it went up. This area was a replica of the room on the second floor, but it had a nightstand and non-working lamp beside the couch. He pulled on the double doors, which were to firmly closed.

Discouraged, Harry entered the elevator again, ready to search the first floor more thoroughly when he noticed something very peculiar. There was a fourth floor button. He knew for a fact it wasn't there a second ago. He had remembered thinking how large the hospital was when he stood outside of it, marveling at the _three_ floors. There was no fourth floor.

Extremely curious, he pushed the button and the elevator began to move. His heart sank as he heard something in the distance. Something distinct, something deadly. He heard the siren.


	8. Chapter 7: Alternate Alchemilla Hospital

chapter 7: alternate alchemilla hospital

The elevator continued moving for a few more seconds. But for Harry that was to long for a floor that didn't exist. Finally it slowed to a stop, and slowly the doors opened. Immediately Harry knew it had happened again. Nothing was wire or dark yet, but the walls were covered in blood and rust, and the couch was skeletal looking and decayed. He tried the double doors, and they opened.

The long hallway before him was decayed, and the dense foggy light was sparse since the windows now had rusty bars on them. He took several steps forward-

-and heard a click behind him. He spun around and pulled on the handle. It was locked firmly from the other side. All the doors along the hall were jammed. At the end there was another set of double doors. He went through them and suddenly darkness engulfed his vision.

He turned on the flashlight. The doors slammed closed and they too locked. "Oh shit…" Harry whispered. At the end of this hallway was a set of stairs that went down. At the bottom, he heard a sort of resounding bang from the fourth floor, and he went up to investigate.

Halfway however a solid concrete blocked further passage. So he was right, there never was a fourth floor. He went back down onto the third floor and pulled out the map. Everything was completely alternate now, but if it was the same as the school, the layout should still match the map. There were rooms 301-307 with two storage rooms, a linen room, and male and female restrooms.

He began up the hallway with rooms 301-304, rattling doorknobs as he went. Room 301 was jammed but Room 302 opened. Inside were a nurse call station, old hospital bed, IV Dropper, and a TV/VCR on a little rusty stand. On the bed was a video cassette tape. It was unlabeled, with a few dried blood splatters on the front. He knelt down and inserted it into the VCR and turned the TV on. Surprisingly enough the TV came to life. The screen was nothing but static, but the video still played. He only caught bits and pieces of the audio. It was a female voice he could tell but the static in the background was too loud to make out a specific voice.

"_Still has--------------, eyes do------------tting a puls--------------er skin is------------when I cha-----------------blood and---------ooz--------Why? Wh----------------------I won--------please_

The video ejected itself. Apparently the thing didn't work as good as he thought. He left the video cassette on top of the TV and left Room 302. He walked on up the hallway. Room 303 was jammed but Room 304 opened as well. Inside his radio went crazy.

The room was a bit larger and had three old hospital beds. In the back of the room, covered by shadows, was the outlined of someone hunched over. "Hello…?" Harry said quietly. The figure suddenly moved, and Harry instinctively rose the steel pipe. As the person shuffled into view, he saw it was wearing a nurse's outfit- a white apron like dress with a green long sleeved turtleneck underneath and white nurse shoes. She let out an animalistic howl and came at him, a rusty scalpel in her right hand. He swung forward, connecting with the nurse's face.

She stumbled sideways and Harry got a good look at her back. The same parasite that he had saw dead at Kaufmanns feet earlier was attached to the nurse's back, wriggling about. Blood was all around the area that it was attached to probably the nerves in her spine. While she was turned, he hit her back, splitting the parasite.

She howled again, and he hit her once more, blood flying up from the parasite. She fell to the ground and Harry stomped the parasite, just to be safe. In here was nothing to special, although a steel plate screwed to the wall puzzled Harry.

There was no way of getting it off without a screwdriver. He left the room. Well, if he went through the linen room he could get to the other wing with the rest of the rooms and a storage room. On his way he checked both restrooms, which were jammed. He entered the linen room, which was filled with yellowed rusty washers and dryers. He walked past them slowly, eyeing them. As he reached the door something crashed behind him. He spun around, raising the pipe.

Everything was still except for an overturned washer. "What the hell did that…" He thought out loud. The washer close to him rumbled, and the door flung open, then it slid across the room and crashed on its side. In panic, Harry left-

-and ran into a couple of the demented nurse's. One of the grabbed his arm and the second one raised her scalpel and swung it mere inches from his face. He shouldered the nurse holding him away, who was wearing a red long sleeved turtle neck under her apron.

He then pulled his handgun out and shot several bullets into the one with the scalpel. The other one came at him again and he shot it in the face, making it a blur of gore and blood. She spun around from the impact, and Harry shot the parasite. Soon, the wing filled with the smell of pus and rot.

Harry pinched his nose and quickly entered the nearest room, which was a storage room. Inside were some rusty carts and trashed wheelchairs and hospital beds. This reminded him of the alleyway and Midwich when everything had transformed into this nightmare. He _had _seen hospital equipment. "I wonder if it's connected to this hospital…" He thought. He wandered inside a bit.

Nothing was really of use. At the opposite end of the room was a rusty computer desk. He kicked it, and heard something jingle inside.

He reached down and pulled on the drawer handle. Inside was a ring of broken keys, except one. He pulled it from the ring and examined it. It was a key to the basement storeroom. He tucked it away in his pocket and after a brief look around, left the storage room.

He quickly checked the rest of the rooms, which were all jammed.

At the end was the public elevator. With the key he might as well try the basement. The elevator was so old and rusty, with a decayed look and blood, just like the whole hospital. It looked like it shouldn't work, but after hitting the call button the doors opened with a terrible screech.

"Why in the hell is Silent Hill turning into these alternate places?" Harry said aloud, startling himself. It had been haunting him for a while but he didn't want to think about it cause Cheryl was somewhere probably seeing the same. If he didn't get to her soon she might never be the same, traumatized for life. He hit the B for basement and the elevator started its descent. It didn't get far however. As it started to move, something halted it and he heard the gears working against each other. Something was holding the elevator. He hit the open button, and the doors slowly open-

-and Pyramid Head was standing there, holding his giant sword in one hand and a disfigured, broken body in the other. Harry immediately pulled out his handgun and open fired on the monster. It pointed its "head" in his direction and tossed the body at him.

Harry slung himself to the side of the elevator, and again starting hitting the B button. The doors started to close, but Pyramid Head stuck the sword in between the doors. "Oh shit no…" Harry thought.

He began firing again, the bullets not even affecting the monster. Pyramid Head lifted the sword with great ease and impaled it into the back of the elevator shaft. He saw the monster had gotten the sword stuck and Harry saw this as a chance to duck underneath and try and get away from the monster. He shot once more until the handgun was empty and he rolled under the sword, getting rust all over his cloths. Pyramid Head however reached out with his other hand and shoved Harry across the room easily. He crashed into an old waiting chair, and it crumbled upon the weight.

Pyramid Head dislodged the sword, making the elevator unusable. It swung the sword 180 degrees and Harry had to lean backward to miss the huge blade. Pyramid Head then brought the sword back and prepared to impale Harry. He flexed his arm and Harry broke into a sprint, the wing going by in a blur. At then end he went through the double doors and down the steps to the second floor, all the while hearing the monster dragging his sword chasing Harry.

On the second floor Harry stopped to take a quick breath of air and to dust himself off, and then continued on down past the first floor on into the basement. All of the doors were jammed except for the storeroom, which was locked. Thankfully he had the key, and used its so.

The storeroom looked moderately normal, except everything was dark, wire mesh, and covered in blood and rust. The shelves proved to have nothing but empty bottles, unknown brown liquids in syringes, and some old alcohol bottles. A cabinet was at the back of the room. Harry opened it and saw it was empty. As he closed the door it rocked gently, and he looked down to see if the floor was uneven.

What he saw were several large scratches where the cabinet had been moved. He went to the side and gave the cabinet a hard push. It toppled easily and a ragged hole in the wall was revealed, just big enough for an adult to get through.

He stepped into it, and saw nothing back here but a steel grate on the floor, covered in thick vines. His flashlight offered him a small view through the vines, and he could make out a hallway underneath the floor. He tried pulling at the vines, but found them thicker than expected. He stood for a moment, then got an idea. He went and got a bottle of alcohol from the storeroom and soaked the vines, then took out his lighter and caught them on fire.

The vines quickly blackened and he put the fire out by stomping on it. He pulled open the grate and dropped down below. The ceiling was just high enough so he didn't have to lower his head. His shoulders touched the walls, and the darkness seemed to get darker. This produced an uneasy feeling of claustrophobia in Harry, and he quickly hurried down the hall through an old metal door. Through here the walls changed from rusty and bloody to old cracked gray brick, but the floor remained wire mesh with eternal darkness beyond. Somehow though it felt right, like even if the hospital wasn't alternate this part of the basement's basement would still look like this.

Up along the hall several doors were scattered on both sides.

He started slowly up the hall, checking each door. As he neared the end his radio went off, and he raised the pipe. In the darkness, he could make out two figures. As the light fell on them, they began stumbling toward him. One was another nurse, and the other was doctor who also had the odd parasite on his back. Harry swung downward, cracking the nurse's skull.

The doctor came at him, his hand raised with a razor sharp bloody scalpel. Harry didn't have enough time to attack, so he stumbled backward.

The doctor swung, and Harry heard the wind from the speed. The nurse was trembling and jerking on the floor, her head squirting blood and brain matter onto the wire floor.

The doctor then came at Harry again, and this time he brought the pipe down on him in the same fashion as the nurse. He fell to his knees, and Harry continued to bludgeon the crazed doctor until he to fell onto the floor in spasms of pain, howling. Harry gave both of them swift kicks in the back and they both stopped moving, pools of fresh blood forming around the lifeless bodies.

He tried the closest door and thankfully it opened. Inside this room, Harry felt immediate sadness and anger and a mix of other emotions. A hospital bed was in the middle of the room with stained sheets, an IV Dropper to the right of the bed. On the other side of the bed were an old chair and a nightstand with a picture and key on it. "What the…why is this room down here and not in one of the rooms…?" He thought. He walked over and picked up the picture. It was of a young girl, maybe Cheryl's age with short black hair and eyes that seemed to pierce his soul. She wasn't smiling either. Her neck had two large white cuffs on both sides and she was wearing a navy blue school uniform. The photo was black and flaked around the edges, and several spots on the photo were burnt.

The girl looked awfully familiar. She looked a lot like Cheryl, but that's not what he was trying to think of. He thought for a moment, and then it hit him. It was the same girl he had saw in the school, only she was younger in this picture. At the bottom right hand side of the picture a name as written in fancy handwriting.

**Alessa**

He had also seen that name in the school written on the textbook he had found in the vandalized desk. He set the picture back down and examined the key. It was a key to the examination room. He checked his map. That room was on the first floor. He pondered the odd room and picture of Alessa a bit longer before leaving the room and basement's basement all together. There was another elevator in the hospital opposite the side of the building the broken one was on.

Harry boarded it and rode it to the first floor. He saw on the map the examination room was the room he had met Kaufmann in. He inserted the key and tried to open it, but found it was blocked from the other side. He opened it enough to get his arm in, and moved the chair blocking the way. He took a moment and surveyed the room. Finally his eyes fell on someone hiding under a desk. She covered her eyes as the flashlight fell on her. She made a sound of excitement, and crawled quickly from underneath the desk and ran up to Harry, wrapping her arms around his neck.

She pressed her face against his chest, and then looked up at him, giving him a smile. Harry noted just how attractive she was, with dirty blonde hair that went to the middle of her back and striking blue eyes. She was wearing a nurse outfit with a red long sleeved turtleneck underneath. Her nurse hat was tilted a little on her head. She took a step back from him, still smiling.

"Finally, someone else who's okay." She said. Her voice was soft and kind.

"Who are you?" Harry asked.

"Lisa Garland. What's yours?"

"Harry Mason." Lisa smiled.

"Harry, tell me what is going on here! Where is everybody?" She asked, her voice in fright.

"So you don't know anything either? Great… I just don't get it. This is all like some kind of bad dream…" He said, looking at his feet.

"Yeah, a living nightmare…" Lisa said. He looked up and saw her staring at him.

"Hey, have you seen a little girl running around here? She's seven years old. She has short black hair, brown eyes." Harry asked hopefully.

"A seven year old girl. What she's your daughter?" He nodded vigorously.

"A seven year old girl…I cant say that I have. I've been in here this whole time. I'm sorry. I unconscious all this time and when I woke up in here everything was like…_this_, and then there was that huge man with a pyramid shaped head…" Harry shuddered.

"Yeah, I saw him earlier. It's like he's out to get me or something."

"I'm sorry about your daughter." Lisa said comfortably.

He sighed. "It's alright." There was a brief pause. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about all that weird ass stuff in the basement would you?" Lisa looked at him puzzled.

"Weird stuff?" She asked.

"You don't know? You're a nurse here right?" She nodded.

"Yeah but we're under strict orders never to enter the basement storeroom, so I really can't say. Why…? What did you say was down there?" She asked almost suspiciously.

"Well, there was this…" He stopped as massive waves of pain hit his head. He fell to his knees clutching his temples. He then heard the siren blaring in his ears.

"Harry? Harry what's wrong?" He couldn't speak, only groan in pain.

"Harry, let me help you." Her voice seemed to be fading away.

"_Harry!"_

"_Harry?"_

"_Harry?"_

"_Harry?"_


	9. Chapter 8: Central Silent Hill

chapter 8: central silent hill

The siren was gone, but his temples still throbbed. He opened his eyes as light hit them. He was lying on a hospital bed in the examination room, only everything was normal again. "Was I dreaming?" He asked out loud. The door to the examination room opened-

-and the old woman he had saw in the Balkan Church stepped in. "You were to late." She said in her same old gravely tone. Harry stood up sluggishly from the bed. "It's you…" He said slowly.

"Yes, Dahlia Gillespie." She said in an almost smirk like tone.

"Tell me everything you know. What's going on here?" Harry said in demand.

"Darkness! The town is being devoured by darkness!" She said, her voice going shrill. "Strength must overcome petty desire, childish sleep talk! I knew this day would come." Harry stared at Dahlia, his mouth agape. "What? I don't understand a word of this." She smiled at him, and reached into her ratty pockets. "Believe the evidence of your eyes. The other church, that is your destination!" She pulled out an old teal colored key and set it on the desk behind her. "This is beyond my abilities, only _you _can stop it now. Haven't you seen the crest marked on the ground all over town?!" Harry thought a moment. "So that's what I saw in the school's courtyard." He whispered. Dahlia looked at him. "Yes!" She said grinning. "What is it? What does it mean?" He asked her.

"It is the mark of Samael… Don't let it be completed…" She turned and quickly left the examination room. "Hey wait!" Harry called out. Dahlia however had already left. Once again she left Harry with more questions than answers. He walked over and picked up the teal key, which had the words "Antique Shop" on it. He pulled out the map of Central Silent Hill and looked around. Up in the top right corner above the Silent Hill Town Center was a small square with the label Antique Shop. Harry put the key and map away and left the examination room and Alchemilla Hospital. Back out onto the quiet foggy streets, Harry took in a large gulp of air. It felt good compared to the stale air of the alternate worlds.

The nightmarish worlds… He checked the map. He would have to get on Wilson Street up to Sagan Street then hang a left and keep going straight and he could get to the Antique Shop. He started up the street, eyeing all of the ominous buildings. As he turned a right onto Sagan Street his radio blared static. He raised the steel pipe, looking around. Ahead in the fog he made out three figures. Two were the odd skinned Dobermans and the third was of a man on the ground, the dogs feasting. Their huge jaws made wet snapping sounds as they ate. Harry moved in a little closer and then brought the pipe down on the closest one. It died instantly, and the second dog looked up and lunged at Harry.

He spun around, pulling the handgun out and shooting two shots into the things upper torso. It fell to the ground and Harry shot it once more in the head to ensure it was dead. He walked over to the man. Harry wondered why the dogs were eating him, he had been very dead for at least several months. The smell was made him gag. He continued on up, passing the very large town center and finally stopping at the Antique Shop. It was in ruins, with the bricks cracked and faded.

A large green sign was hanging sideways from the broken metal support post that read **_Antique Green Lion_**. So the store had a name. Harry concluded that Dahlia must be the owner, although he couldn't be sure. He inserted the key into the dilapidated door and went on inside. It was extremely dark, and none of the lights worked so he had to use his chest pocket flashlight to see.

It looked more like an antique thrift store. And old Grandfather Clock was next to the entrance, and on inside were several old couches in ugly faded pink upholstery, chairs, a computer desk, some bunk beds, a filing cabinet, a chest of drawers, and a wardrobe closet like thing up against the wall opposite the entrance. The little room looked full of things, but all of it was useless. He noticed however a metal track on the floor by the wardrobe that continued on underneath it. He went to the side and gave it a push. It slid over with a wooden scratching sound. A ragged hole was revealed, just big enough for him to fit through. A cold breeze came from the dark hole. He heard the door to the antique door open, and he spun around, raising the handgun.

"Harry!" It was Cybil Bennett.

"Cybil!" Harry called, a smile spreading across his face. She walked over to him.

"God, I'm glad your okay. Things are way worse than I thought. It's nuts!" She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving town and going back to Brahms?" Harry asked.

"I tried, all of the roads are just…gone! Cars have stopped running, and the phones and radios are out to. Besides, I saw you come in here, so I followed you." Harry nodded.

"What about my little girl? Did you happen to see her anywhere?" Harry asked hopefully.

"I did see a girl…" Cybil said quietly.

"Was it Cheryl?!" Harry asked, all of his senses returning.

"I only caught a glimpse of her, through the fog. I went after her but she just vanished. I really don't know about your daughter but-" Harry cut her off.

"And you just let her go?! Where was it?!" He said, his voice raising. Cybil waved her arms, motioning for him to calm down. "On Bachman Road. She was heading towards the lake." Harry's eyes widened. Cybil gave him a tiny smile. "Now don't get excited. It wasn't like she ran off. There wasn't any place for her to go…" Harry shook his head.

"Huh? What? So then Cheryl…" His voice drifted off.

"It was like she was walking on thin air…" Cybil finished for him. Harry shook his head again, then placed his fingers on his temples, willing the touch of a headache to go away. "What about you? Find out anything useful?" Cybil asked after a few moments. Harry let out a long breath. "Nothing to much…Wait, yeah I met this bizarre woman. Her name's Dahlia Gillespie. Do you know anything about her? She's hinted around that she knows where Cheryl is at, but always runs off after telling me stuff." Cybil looked down in thought.

"Dahlia Gillespie? No, not really. And?" Harry looked up into her blue eyes. They were searching his deep brown ones. "She said something like, the town being devoured by the darkness. Gibberish like that. I have no idea what she means, do you?" He asked. Cybil was smiling. "Darkness devouring the town…?" She thought for a moment.

"Must be on drugs." She concluded. "They sell 'em to the tourists. The force still can't find out who is behind all of it. None of our leads have panned out, and the investigation is stalled." Cybil was staring off into space.

"What does drug trafficking have to do with all of this?" Harry asked. She looked at him.

"I really don't know. Maybe that's the darkness she was talking about. It's all I can think off. Although I don't know how they got the drugs out of Alchemilla." She said, then looked over at the large hole in the wall. "What's that?" She asked, pointing at it with the barrel of her 9mm. "I just discovered it. Maybe there is something useful back there." Harry said.

"Well, lets have a look." Cybil said, and took a step forward.

"Wait. We don't know what's back there. I'd better check it out first." He said, holding his hand out. Cybil gave him a small laugh. "I'm a cop. I think I can go." She said, smiling. She probably thought Harry was trying to play Mr. Manly man hero, but that didn't bother him that much. "No, I'm going okay?" He said, giving her a thoughtful look. She sighed.

"Fine, I'll cover you from here. But be careful. If anything looks strange or outta place, get back here ASAP." She said. Harry nodded.

"Okay…Cybil?" She turned toward him.

"Yeah?" She asked, walking back over to him.

"Do you know anything about…well like some other world? Like some kind of nightmare?" He asked, hoping it didn't sound as crazy to her as it did to him. He twisted his hands nervously as she gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?" She asked him bluntly. He laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He said and turned toward the hole. He felt her small hand on his shoulder. "Wait, tell me about it" She said quietly. He turned back toward her, wondering if he should.

"_Go ahead, she shouldn't think you are to crazy…"_ He thought to himself.

"Well, I'm not quite sure myself. When I try to make sense of it my mind just goes blank. Everything is dark and decaying there, and I hear sirens in the distance. I met this nurse when it happened at the hospital, her name is Lisa. It's like I was there, but then again I wasn't. It's all a big blur, like some kind of hallucination." He finished, taking in a deep breath eyeing her warily. She shook her head, a serious look on her face. "I have no idea what you're talking about Harry." She said quietly.

"Oh, well I was just wondering. Nevermind." He said with a sigh. She gave him a weak smile.

"Harry, you're tired. That's all. And with your daughter lost I'm sure that's not helping to much." She said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"Yeah….maybe…." He gave her one last look, and then squeezed through the hole. There was debris all over the floor, and the brick walls were a sick green color and narrow. At the end was another hole, a bit larger than the first one. He raised his pipe as he entered the gloomy room. He looked around, squinting his eyes. There was an odd musty smell to the air, and it was relatively empty. A small portrait was hanging on the wall beside an old metal door. A broken dresser was opposite of him, smashed against the wall. He looked to his left and froze. There was a blood altar with two candlesticks beside it.

On the wall above it was a gothic style painting of Jesus Christ, crucified. "Is this the other church Dahlia was talking about?" He whispered. He stepped up to it and examined it. In the bronze offering plate was dust and black stain. He cringed his nose. On the ground was an iron battle-ax. He smiled and picked it up. It was definitely smaller than the pipe but much more effective. He dropped the pipe and gripped the ax and turned to show Cybil what he had found. He heard the sound of fire behind him and turned, raising the ax in defense. The blood altar had become engulfed in flames. He turned to leave when his head began pounding. Hew dropped to his knees. "Oh fuck…Cybil…" His vision began spinning until he finally blacked out.

"Harry…? Are you alright…?" Lisa's voice floated peacefully to his ears. The low roar in his ears cleared, and finally he opened his eyes. "Your awake…" Lisa smiled, sitting down in a chair in front of him. He looked around. "Am I back at the hospital?" He asked, still holding his head.

"You were having a nightmare." She said, her eyes filled with concern. Her voice seemed to echo in the small Infirmary.

"Hey, do you know anything about this bizarre woman…Her name is Dahlia…Dahlia Gillespie." Lisa looked down at her hands, her eyes searching.

"Yeah, yeah actually I do. The crazy Gillespie lady. Her kid died in the fire when she was only seven. She hasn't been right in the head ever since." Harry nodded his head.

"She said something about the town, being devoured by darkness…Do you know anything about that?" He asked, feeling secure talking with her.

"Darkness…I think I may know something like that. Now, don't call me crazy-"

"Please, from what I've seen in this town, you couldn't possibly say anything crazy." She smiled at him, her face relaxing for what seemed to be the first time since he'd met her. She started again.

"Long ago, way before Silent Hill was a resort town, even before it had it's name, there was a village here run by a group who practiced in the dark arts and black magic. When the town was finally founded, some of the original founders died in mysterious accidents that has yet to be explained." Harry nodded, then smiled.

"What? Do I sound that crazy?" He shook his head.

"Believe it or not, it actually makes sense." They both laughed, before a sudden heaviness fell over Harry.

"Are you okay? Lay down for a moment." He did so, the dull ringing of the siren in the distance.


	10. Chapter 9: Alternate Central Silent Hill

chapter 9: alternate central silent hill

Harry opened his eyes, seeing nothing. It was completely black, and the ground was digging into his spine. He sat up, a fresh wave of pain pounding his temple. He pressed several fingers to the side of his head, trying to ease the throbbing. "Was I dreaming again…?" He looked around, the surroundings familiar yet completely different.

_I hate to admit it, but I think I'm losing my mind. I'm probably lying unconscious in my jeep, an ambulance on the way and Cheryl is there by my side, waiting for daddy to wake up…_

Harry shook his head. "I'm giving up…" He grumbled quietly, trying to pick himself up. Even though the events around him were toying with his sanity, if there was even the slightest chance his daughter was still lost in this nightmare, he _had _to find her.

"_Cybil had said she had seen Cheryl walking toward the lake. But Bachman Road was broken off. How else…Maybe Lisa will know?"_

The flashlight in his chest pocket had stopped working, much to his dismay. He pulled the pistol from his pocket and stood up, wiping the dried blood and rust from his pants. He tried making out surroundings, seeing he was actually still in the Green Lion. He must have been unconscious through the blaring of the siren, although he remembered hearing it from a distance while he was out. Seeing no immediate threat, he pocketed the handgun and picked up the iron battle-axe, making his way to the entrance.

The sky had gone dark again, with a steady rain falling down. He decided he should try to make his way back to Alchemillia and find Lisa, then get the hell out of here. He stepped out on to the street, the rain light but steady. The flashlight also came back on after he left the dank recess of the antique shop. He saw that disturbingly all of the roads leading back to the hospital were blocked aside from Silent Hill Town Hall, so he'd have to go through it to make it back to the hospital.

He made his way across the street, pulling on the large glass double doors. They opened with ease, almost like his path was pre-determined. There was a large array of television screens that suddenly lit up as he passed them. They were all filled with static, and he tried his best to ignore them as he scanned the large lobby of Town Hall.

"_Daddy…Help me…"_

He jerked his head over to the sound of his daughter's voice.

"Cheryl…?!"

He saw through the unclear images on the screens his daughter lying on her side, apparently struggling against something that kept her down and kept her from moving.

"_Help me…Where are you…?"_

Tears began to sting his eyes as the television screens faded back to black, drenching the large building in ominous quiet. He stood staring at them a few minutes, wishing to see the image of his daughter again. After realizing he was only wasting his time, he decided to check upstairs. The iron stairs creaked, and he was reminded that he was still trapped in this nightmarish alternate universe.

The iron axe was gripped tightly in his hand to the point it was painful, beads of perspiration dotting his face. He was in no shape for anything like this. The floor groaned again, this time louder and threatening to break. He felt the iron mesh floor sink in a bit, and before he could realize what was happening he was falling, only for a brief moment, before landing roughly on the dirty ground. Spots floated around in his vision, a new wave of pain pumping through his temples. The axe was lying a few feet away, the handgun right beside it. He tried sitting up, immediately resting his head in his hands.

The sound of something large scraping against the ground brought him back to the real world, his mind filled with a fog from the fall. Where had he heard that sound before? It was recently, he knew, but where? He heard it again and then instantly grabbed the handgun.

"Pyramid Head…" He said under his breath, keeping still as he heard something from the other side of the dark area he had fallen into. He crouched down, turning the flashlight off. He heard the sound again, this time followed by the sound of something forcing its way through the wall. It _was _him. It saw him walking slowly, the weapon in one hand and a bloody corpse in the other. Before he could react, Pyramid Head threw the body at Harry, then started swinging the great sword around, making him dive down to the ground. He open fired, the shot making metal ping sounds as it hit the helmet. Finally several shots hit the thing's chest, and he heard an odd, low groan come from the monster.

It suddenly reached forward, picking Harry easily up into the air. He finished the rounds in the handgun, aiming them point blank into the creature. It threw him across the area they were in, Harry crashing into the wire chain-linked wall. He hit the ground hard, the handgun and axe sliding from his grasp. He fumbled for some loose bullets in his pocket, coming up with enough to fill the clip up halfway.

With speed the demon had yet to show, he thrust the giant blade tip first at Harry, causing him to duck to the side. He was able to fire a few shots, all of them connecting, before Pyramid Head had the sword and was swinging at him again, this time causing him to fall to the ground and roll. His body was already aching, but he had to constantly keep on his toes and just keep moving. He pocketed the handgun and then brought up the axe, taking a one shot chance at throwing it at the monster's back.

The battle-axe did connect, slicing neatly into the shoulder. He-it-reached around and pulled it out, obliterating it in his hand. That's when it finally hit Harry. It was a terrible idea to even think about fighting this Executioner from Hell. He turned and started looking for the hole that he had come through at. He turned back on the flashlight, finally seeing it the jagged opening. He ran toward it, feeling a slight breeze coming through. He pushed himself through, ignoring the sting from all the scrapes from the broken chain links. He looked around, everything lost in shadows. He just started running, his shoes making dull thuds on the wire mesh ground. The rain was warm, along with the air, and it fell lightly.

Finally he came to a dead end near a rusty metal balcony overlooking a small section of Toluca Lake. He bent over to catch his breath, wishing that his little stalker would leave him the hell alone. What did he ever do to that freak? He stood back, Cheryl once again becoming first priority. No matter what happened to him, he couldn't stop, or die, before he knew his daughter would be safe again. That was his goal.

He saw that down the street that turned right here, he would be able to make it to a courtyard in the back of the hospital. He clambered over several backyard fences before finally stumbling through some shrubbery back at the hospital. He entered through a back door, already dreading being back. He never had like going to hospitals, even when he had to take Cheryl, but this was about a thousand times worse.

If he could choose, he'd rather go back to the time when he had to take Cheryl for her first shot, or even back to the hospital before Lauren had died. Anything was better than this horrible, nightmarish world. He shook his head, finding his way back to the examination room where he had found Lisa. She looked terrified as he came in, but her face quickly softened once she saw Harry.

"There you are! I was so scared being here all alone." She ran up to him, hugging him for the second time.

"It's alright, but I need to ask you a favor. How can I get to the lake?" He asked, keeping his hands on her shoulders. She thought for a moment, then smiled.

"That's easy, you take Bachman Road." Harry shook his head.

"It uh…it doesn't go through anymore." Lisa looked puzzled.

"Well that's the only way to get there." His hopes faltered. He sat down in one of the chairs and placed his head in his hands to think.

"I'm really sorry…" She whispered.

"Don't be, its not your fault." He replied, keeping his face buried in his hands. There was several moments of silence.

"Wait! I just remembered something!" She said, her voice going high. He was instantly to his feet.

"There's a water works over by the elementary school I used to work at. Now I never went there, but I heard that it runs all the way to the lake!" Harry shuddered.

"You mean Midwich right?" She nodded.

"Yeah, you been there already?" He nodded.

"Unfortunately, but I didn't know about the water works." He turned to leave, but felt her grab onto his sleeve.

"Wait, Harry…Please don't leave me here alone. I cant stand being in here all by myself, in this nightmarish place." He thought for a moment, weighing in his options.

"I may not be the best of help, but I can do the best I can to protect you if you want to…you know…go with me?" He asked, studying her face. She looked up at him.

"No…I don't think so. I don't know why but I feel like I'm not supposed to leave this place." She walked over and sat down on the bed, looking up at him helplessly.

"Hey, I know your daughter needs you," she patted the seat beside her, "but I'm keeping this seat warm for when you get back. And you _better_ come back." Harry couldn't stand the though of leaving her in this hospital, but her mind was apparently made up.

"Okay, but I promise you as soon as I find Cheryl, I'm coming back to get you, you understand? So you just stay tight, lock the doors, and I'll be back soon." She nodded, looking down at her feet. He walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"We're going to get through this…whatever this may be, we're going to get through it." She looked up, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I know, I just need your help."

"And you got it. I'm going to find my daughter and we'll come back to get you." This time she smiled then nodded.

"Okay, I'll be here when you get back…" Fearing he may not be able to leave if he stayed any longer, he quickly exited the room and the hospital all together. It was still dark outside, the rain letting up a little, although immediately he noticed something wrong.

There was only one single path to go, and that was straight. The other roads and buildings were just gone, the pathway lined with a rusty barbed wire handrail. He continued forward, coming to a set of steps. He made his way up them, finding himself on the roof of another building.

Then he heard it, the sound of Pyramid Head walking. He turned and was stunned. The monster was right there, coming up the steps. He kept backing up until his heels tipped the edge of the roof. He looked back, swaying a little, then turned back forward-

-and had to fall back to avoid being impaled by the giant sword. Everything drifted away, until he finally hit solid ground below.


	11. Chapter 10: Water Works

Sorry, short chapter! I promise I'll start making them longer, like the other ones. I hope you enjoy this!

chapter 10: water works

Harry kept his eyes closed, seemingly falling for longer than need be. Finally he hit solid ground, but not with force, rather like he landed softly. Light hit his eyes, followed by a slight change in the air. He opened one eye, seeing nothing but the fog. He noticed in front of him was the building he had been on, and he was back down on the ground below it.

The streets, building, and atmosphere had all returned back to normal…well as normal as Silent Hill had been so far. He stood up, several parts of his body aching slightly, and he picked back up the handgun. He heard the sound of a door slamming somewhere, and he pulled the map out. There was a police station ahead, and tucked behind it was a tiny bar with a garage on the side.

The sign above the door read _The Indian Runner._ He stepped inside, several overhead lamps and neon lights shedding some dull glow to the gloomy bar.

A crash brought his attention behind the bar. The doctor from Alchemilla, Michael Kaufmann, stood up, wrestling with one of the charred children. Harry ran over and pulled it off him, kicking it into the wall. It exploded in a pile of ash. He took in several shuddery breaths, staring at the soot mark, before looking up at Harry.

"Thanks. It came at me as soon as I entered in here." He said, his voice returning to normal.

"Yeah, your lucky I heard the door close." Kaufmann looked uneasy.

"Have you found any way out of here yet?" He asked. Harry shook his head.

"No, and the roads are all out to."

"Yeah, I noticed…What about you? Anything new." Kaufmann asked, walking over to stand beside Harry, pulling out a bottle from the bar.

"Nothing so far. I checked the hospital and Town Hall, but nothing."

"You drink?" He asked, handing him the bottle. Harry refused. He took another swig.

"Hey, do you know anything about a girl named Alessa?" Kaufmann jerked his head up quickly.

"What…?" He asked, setting the bottle down.

"Um, Alessa. I found some info on her at the school. I was just wondering if you knew anything about her?"

He shook his head. "No…" He picked up his briefcase, then turned back to face him.

"No, I have no idea who Alessa is." He headed toward the door.

"But I hope you find your daughter." He said, true sympathy in his voice. Harry nodded.

"Good luck out there." They exchanged nods, then again Harry was left alone. He stood in thought for a moment, then let his eyes search the bar. There was nothing of real use, just a pool table and some booths. There was a metal door with an exit sign above it.

"_Garage…"_

He walked over and pulled the door open, seeing an old motorcycle with a tote bag around it. He walked over and opened it, seeing that it was mostly empty. Some burnt remains of paper were in there, almost covering a small vial of red liquid.

He pulled it out, accidentally knocking the motorcycle over. He stepped away, examining the strange liquid. It looked exactly like the kind he had found in the broken vial at Alchemilla. He heard the door to the bar open, and he pressed against the wall, pulling up the handgun. He let out his breath when he saw Kaufmann walk in.

"Everything alright?" He asked. Kaufmann looked over quickly.

"What are you doing?" He asked accusingly.

"I knocked the bike over getting this out of that bag." He raised the vial. Harry was surprised when Kaufmann jerked it from his hands, stuffing it into his jacket pocket.

"Instead of nosing around and wasting time, you should mind your own business if you want to stay alive…" He furrowed his eyebrows, giving Harry one last dirty look before storming out of the Indian Runner. He stood transfixed for a moment, suddenly remembering what Cybil had said in the Green Lion about drug trafficking.

"_Kaufmann must have been involved with smuggling the drugs out of Alchemilla when that problem was disrupting the town…"_

He shook his head.

"_That isn't as important now, you can think about all this later after you find Cheryl."_

He left the bar through the garage, then stopped and looked around. He was already on the street out of Central Silent Hill, so he started making his way back across the bridge to Old Silent Hill. His radio began acting up, but he was more concerned with the flapping noise he heard in the distance. It was moving around, no doubt, but slowly getting louder.

Finally, through the fog, he saw something incredibly large flying through the air. It let out a terrible prehistoric screech, and Harry could make out the large deformed features of a Vampire Bat. He shook his head several times, then kicked his body into gear. He started sprinting down the nearest street, starting to see familiar yards and houses. Finally he came up to the house that let him make his way toward Midwich.

"_God…I promised myself the first time I came here it would be the last…"_

He thought angrily, dreading every step toward this elementary school. Finally it came into view, a chain-linked fenced off area over to the right, something he had completely bypassed the first time. The gate was locked, the padlocked worn and almost completely rusted through. A sign was hung on the door that read

**Silent Hill Water Works and Sewer**

He looked back down at the lock, and tried pulling on it a little. It crumbled. He raised the butt of the handgun up and hit the lock several times, causing it to break and fall to the ground. He pushed the door open, a ladder going down catching his eye. There was an unpleasant smell rising from it, making him hesitant.

"_Are you insane? CHERYL remember?"_

His brain screamed at him. He shook his head, starting his descent down the ladder.


	12. Chapter 11: Sewers

chapter 11: sewers

The sudden darkness was overwhelming, but not as terrible as the darkness from the otherworld. He turned on the flashlight was spied a think metal rod on the ground. He smiled, picking it up. He swiped it around several times, getting a good feel for it. Feeling secure, he looked toward the dark tunnel leading deep underground. Again he was hesitant.

Cheryl was constantly on his mind, but fear was easy to control any normal person. Building some more courage, and gripping the metal pipe tighter, he started down. His flashlight was of better use in such suffocating space, the walls coming in close. He could hear the slow, easy sound of sewage flow, the stench burning his eyes and stinging the back of his throat. He then heard the sound of small footsteps running further away. It couldn't be…He picked up his pace.

"Cheryl…" Her name escaped his lips in a mere whisper. They were fading quickly, and the tunnel was starting to branch out some. There was a sudden major fork, and he quickly decided left. The footsteps were almost completely inaudible now, and he felt more lost and confused than before.

And he had no idea of the layout of the sewers. He came up to another path to make, and went right this time. He came to a dead end, a single table pressed up against the wall. On it was a single silver key, among several pieces of different types of keys.

There was something etched in the top, which he could barely make out as "Exit". He stuffed it into his pocket and retraced back a bit, taking several different routes. He stopped when something ahead spotted his eye. He turned off the flashlight, trying to make out the silhouette he saw in the distance. Maybe it was Cybil, just as confused and scared as him and waiting for him to make a move? He stepped closer.

"Cybil…? Is that you?" He asked. Fear then set it when he realized it might not be her. He raised the pipe, and slowly reached for the flashlight. It switched it on-

-and had to stumble back to avoid being grabbed by Pyramid Head. He swung wildly, crashing to the cement ground. The vile thing began walking toward him, still dragging the nightmarish giant sword. He grabbed it with both hands and raised it above his head. Harry's eyes widened, and he began frantically struggling to get up and away. He finally got up and going, hearing the deafening crash of the sword tear into the ground. He turned back to face it, firing several shot with the handgun. Pyramid Head raised his arm in defense, and Harry ran toward it with the pipe, beating it relentlessly.

He ducked down and squeezed behind it, sprinting off into the darkness. Several disturbing squeaks began screaming from a dark corner he was passing, feeling little hands grasp and release his pants.

He pushed harder, finally coming to a ladder going up. Hoping he hadn't just made a big circle, he started climbing, fear and adrenaline rushing through his veins.

The top came to a door with a lit exit sign above it. He pulled out the key out and used it, the door swinging open. Light hit his eyes, and he was temporarily blinded. He leaned against the wall, the breeze good against his hot skin. He looked around, seeing a sign that read **Sanford Street**.

He started heading toward a bridge, thinking about going back to get Lisa or find Cybil for help when a sudden heaviness fell over him. A rush of pain crashed into his head, and he fell to his knees in pain. The ground phased from asphalt to a rusty wire grating, the siren suddenly blaring in his ears.

"No! NO!" He screamed, falling to the ground.


	13. Chapter 12: Alternate Silent Hill

chapter 12: alternate silent hill

Harry's eyes were squeezed close, playing images of Lauren and Cheryl over and over as he felt the world around him change. He slid one eye open, seeing the drops of water falling to the blackness below.

He took a quick glance around and saw the buildings were now covered in rust, crumbling and decrepit. The road was nothing but metal, with barbed wire snaking along broken road signs. There was nothing but dark overhead, the entire sky a pitch-black canvas.

"_Not this again…"_

He felt his hands start to shake a little, the only sound filling his ears being the _pitter-patter_ of the slight rainfall. He decided to head toward the Silent Hill Lighthouse he saw on his map several blocks south. There was a set of old cement stairs, and he descended them quickly as the radio emitted faint static.

He heard out in the abysmal distance a monkey-like growl, followed by several demonic _whooping_ sounds. He saw stuck in the small water canal ahead there was a fairly large houseboat, the sliding glass door already slightly ajar. He was blinded by a flashlight, and brought his hand up to his face.

"Harry?!"

He looked closer as he heard Cybil's voice, a smile spreading across his face.

"You know, amongst all this hell your voice sounds really nice." He said, unable to suppress a chuckle.

"You see this?! Is this real?!"

He nodded only once, keeping his gaze locked on hers.

He asked, "How did you get here?"

She shook her head, taking a seat.

"Uh, the sewers," she sighed, "I made my way through the sewers. When I went in everything was just as it'd been since I got here." She shot him a glance.

"When I finally made my way out everything was dark and like…this"

She motioned toward a mirror, which was completely encrusted with rust and dark red stains.

"This town…" Harry mumbled. Cybil raised her flashlight on him.

"What…?"

He looked over.

"The fire here, something terrible happened that night. Something is happening to Silent Hill. It's being invaded by the 'Otherworld'."

Cybil shook her head in confusion. Harry continued to speak, mainly to himself as if trying to sort the situation out.

"It's a world of someone's nightmarish delusions come to life, and its trying to swallow everything up in…'darkness'."

She was eyeing him carefully, thinking about his explanation. It was impossible, like something from a movie or…nightmare. But given the current situation, was he correct?

"And Cheryl," He continued, "she's in this darkness somewhere, lost and scared. The only thing she can think of is finding me…daddy. She needs my help. She's my little angel, she's all I have left…and I've got to find her."

Cybil was smiling now.

"She's lucky to have you." She said, touching his shoulder slightly.

Something suddenly bursts through the door, and both flashlights fall on the figure.

It was Dahlia Gillespie.

"You! You were at the church! You were the one who lead me to the hospital!"

"And you failed yet again! Can't you see around you? The town is being consumed by darkness as you two do nothing!"

"Calm down, what are you talking about? Cybil commanded authority in her voice.

"Soon it will be over. The Mark of Samael is almost complete! To banish this nightmare you must stop the demon and end the darkness!"

Harry stepped forward, pointing a finger at the old woman.

"It's that red Pyramid thing isn't it!"

She shook her head.

"He is merely a product of the demon, sent to prevent you from finding your precious…_Cheryl_."

Harry felt his anger boil.

"Where is she! Do you know?!"

Dahlia stepped back, closer to the exit.

"Only the demon knows where the girl is. It takes the form of a child, hiding behind the face of an innocent. The Lighthouse and the Amusement Park. Those are the final locations. This is your last chance!"

She turned and opened the door, Cybil and Harry trying to follow her.

"Wait! How do I stop the demon?!" Harry called out.

The mysterious woman halted for a brief second, turning only to shout something barely audible.

"Use the Flauros that I gave you!"

She sprinted down into the darkness and out of sight.

"That was seriously weird…" Cybil said after several moments of silence.

He rubbed his temples, trying to break the jumbled mess of thoughts darting in his head, trying to get a plan for them both.

"What now? I'd say finding your daughter and checking out those two places sounds good to me." Cybil said, looking off into space.

"Yeah. You go ahead and check the Amusement Park. I'll run up and check the Lighthouse then meet you there."

She started to take the exit Dahlia had left by when she stopped and turned, pulling her second handheld walkie-talkie from her belt.

"Take this. If we find anything we can beep each other in. I'm on channel four." She said, checking her own after handing him the other.

He clipped his to his belt, nodding.

"Good idea. Thanks." She soon left, leaving him alone in the quiet houseboat alone.

"_Now or never."_

He left through the sliding door and started up the darkened brick walkway, his destination being the Lighthouse. He saw a gaping hole in the chain-linked fence to his left, made from something with much force.

"…_Pyramid Head……?"_

He didn't like the thought of running into him again, or vice versa, so he quickened his pace as he saw the silhouette of the Lighthouse in the distance.

There were a couple of stairs leading up to the old metal doors, and he heard something rumble behind him. It was an ape-like monster, his fur covered in wet, glistening slime. It's face looked broken, with only fragments of a mouth, nose, and chin. It had two glowing white eyes however that was locked on Harry. It howled, causing him to jump and drop the iron pipe. It didn't matter.

He hurried into the Lighthouse, immediately faced with a huge, spiral staircase. He touched it, and it felt like it would collapse.

"_Safe…"_

He placed a foot on it, the rickety framework stronger than it looked. He ascended slowly, keeping focused on the single door he spied at the top.

He saw dust particles flaking from the hooks attaching the staircase to the ceiling, and he slowed nervously to a stop. If it broke now the fall would surely kill him. He continued, hearing something coming from the top of the structure. The door at the top was almost rusted shut, but he managed to force it open. He saw first the glowing circle in the middle of the roof, and he walked over to it.

Among the white glow were several wavy wisps of red, blue, and yellow light.

"This mark…it's the same one I saw at the school and hospital. This is what Dahlia has been talking about, the Mark of Samael.

He saw something approaching him from the darkness, the figure small and petite. The very unique face, particular clothing and small size made her instantly recognizable as the girl he had seen in the boiler of Midwich.

"It's you…You're here to."

She was silent, only staring at him with a saddened look of confusion and frustration.

"Are you doing this? Are you the demon controlling the town?"

She stepped back, starting to slowly dissipate. He studied her face, a bell ringing in his head.

"Wait, you're the girl from that photograph. I remember it from the basement of Alchemilla, in that pitiful room."

She continued to fade, taking several steps backward.

He started to follow her.

"Are you Alessa…?"

There was a pleasant look to her face, and she was suddenly gone from sight.

"Wait, don't go yet! Damn I was too late…" He felt hopeless, the seal on the ground now burning out. She truly was gone.

"The Amusement Park. Cybil might have found something…" He mumbled, making his way back down to the ground. As the door to the Lighthouse opened, his flashlight suddenly fell on about four of the ape monsters, swarming in a pack and waiting.

Harry pulled up the handgun and open fired, causing a frenzy among the beasts. Two died instantly, and he ran over to the railing to take aim at the last two as they leaped toward him. He ducked, both monsters flying over the railing and howling as they fell into the darkness below. He made his way back to the houseboat, no signs of Cybil's return prevalent.

"_She must've found something then…"_

He pulled up the radio and tuned it in, pressing the call button.

"Cybil? Can you hear me?"

Her voiced soon replied, as calm and authoritative as always.

"I hear you, over."

"Found anything? The Lighthouse is a no-go." He said into the speaker.

"I just climbed this ladder out of the sewers and I saw some carousel horses dumped in the sewage, so I think this is the right way, over."

"Okay, I'm coming to catch up with-"

"Hold on, I hear something. She kept the talk button pressed, and he heard her draw her weapon.

"Hello?"

She called to something unseen. He then heard her cry out, followed by the loud _thump_ of something colliding into her.

"Cybil? Hello? Are you okay? Can you hear me?!"

He called frantically, with no response.

"_Oh shit…"_

He hurried out of the boathouse and back toward the sewers, descending back into the skanky raunch. He made his way down the first tunnel, turning left as he approached a fork.

There was evidence of something heavy being dragged, and he nervously looked forward as another fork came up.

This time he went right, his footsteps echoing in the metal tunnels loudly. Finally he saw a ladder come into view, along with the fake horses floating in the water. The ladder must be the same one Cybil ascended. He climbed up, seeing several blood drops on the ground. Something had happened to her.

But her body was no where to be seen.

This was bad.


	14. Chapter 13: Lakeside Amusement Park

chapter 13: lakeside amusement park

The darkness made it hard to make out anything, but finally he came to an opening, a huge metal sign hung in the entranceway. It read

_**Welcome to**_

_**Lakeside Amusement Park!**_

"_This is it…"_

He realized that he had to find Cheryl, but he was sick at the thought of something bad happening to Cybil, one of the few normal people he'd met since his hellish excursion into Silent Hill. 

Not to mention this was where the final showdown was now going to go down, according to Dahlia.

"_Crazy old hag…"_

He followed through some turnstiles and into an open area, something creaking to his left. He decided to venture in further, a rickety concession stand coming into view.

There were three windows, one of which that was not destroyed. Inside he saw a pad of yellowed paper and a pencil, something he figured might help release his jumbled thoughts. 

"_Hopefully, if anyone else experiences these bizarre events, maybe my notes will be useful."_

He walked over to it, immediately starting to write as soon as he picked up the pencil.

**Dahlia's the one who said that the girl was a demon, and that she took my daughter. But, it's not totally believable. I mean, can't appearances be deceiving? The photo in the hospital basement…that girl looks like Cheryl. Maybe…Is that why I feel this way? I know nothing good can come of this, but I just can't think of her as a demon. I suppose I feel sorry for her. I wonder if it's just me, or does it feel like she's looking for someone to help her? I do know that Cheryl is what's important to me. I brought her here, and everything can wait until I've got her back. **

He lay the pencil down, still feeling like his head was in the clouds, but not wanting to waste any more time.

"_That'll do…"_

He turned and headed down the walkway toward the only sound he heard in the tomb-like amusement park, a low metal churning sound. He took a right, going through a small metal gate. A merry-go-round came into view, the contraption silent and not moving.

"…"

"What up here buddy?" He asked quietly, placing his hand on one of the more colorful of the carousel horses. His voice echoed, and his flashlight caught the gentle movement of something in the darkness. He stepped forward, seeing someone slumped over in a wheelchair.

"…Cybil?" He asked, noticing the leather pants and police uniform. Her head was almost resting on her chest, her blond hair the only visible part of her head. 

"Are you alright?"

She suddenly sat up, standing sluggishly from the wheelchair. She locked eyes with him, and panic suddenly set into his body. Something was wrong with her.

Her movements were slow and timed, and she had a slight grin on the corners of her lips. Also, the whites of her eyes were completely bloodshot, and he realized that they were actually that color now. That's when he noticed the parasite squirming near her waist, blood around the jagged wound.

"Harry…"

She said, her tone smooth and cold, a dangerously sexy overtone rolling from her lips. It didn't even sound like the same person.

She then raised her handgun, and he had mere seconds to fall to his back as she fired several shots, barely missing him.

"_You have to do __something__, its not Cybil anymore…!"_

He already knew now he'd run before he could shoot her, and bludgeoning her to death wasn't an option either. She began a steady stride toward him, her movements light and airy. He almost thought she was floating at first. 

She was still smiling, and her eyes had turned completely crimson. For some reason he stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket, and felt the glass vial he'd picked up at Alchemilla. 

He pulled it out, the red liquid shimmering at the bottom. He wanted to help her, so feeling that this was his only option he turned and ran around the merry-go-round, opposite of Cybil.

"Where are you going?"

She asked in the same monotonic voice. He sped up, finally coming up to her back. She started to turn, hearing his footsteps-

-and he threw the vial at her, the tube exploding on contact. The red liquid drench the parasite attached to her, and it emitted a high pitched squeal.

He covered his ears, watching in horror as Cybil fell to the ground, clutching her side. She screamed in pain, and suddenly the creature was trying to wiggle away, Harry running up and stomping the thing several times. 

He saw that Cybil was already standing to her feet, albeit leaning against a carousel horse for support. There was a long silence, neither of them saying anything, just staring at the parasite that had been controlling her.

"…Thanks"

"Don't mention it…"

They stood there a second longer, lost in thought.

"Harry…Why have they taken your daughter? Do you have any idea?"

He looked up at her, somehow relieved that she was intrigued and enthused on helping him find Cheryl. 

"You know, I didn't really think about that at first, but there's something I haven't really mentioned to her yet. She's…not really my biological daughter. Seven years ago, my wife and I were leaving from a vacation here. 

I spotted her right as we were leaving, just abandoned on the side of the road. She was so beautiful, I didn't know who could do that, so we took her in. My wife couldn't have kids, so you could imagine that we were ecstatic."

Cybil laughed and smiled, staying silent so he could continue. 

"Soon after my wife died she began to start sleepwalking, and they would cause her to get ill. One night I found her in the living room, and she said 'Silent Hill'. 

I was distraught, and when she started saying it every time she sleepwalked I thought that maybe, since I _did_ find her here there might be some connection between her and this town."

Cybil was studying him, truly listening and comprehending what he was trying to explain.

"So you brought her here…"

He chuckled, a sound without any humor.

"Great idea huh…?" He was staring at the floor, and she felt embarrassed for mentioning it. 

"Hey, we're gonna find her okay?" She said reassuringly.

He nodded, seemingly comforted by her words.

"But not standin' around!" She joked, not able to fully lighten the mood.

He said "Your right, lets get a move on."

They stepped off the carousel, moving away and toward an old cotton candy machine. That's when he saw a glow around the back of an old restroom about twenty feet ahead. He asked Cybil to stay back, moving stealthily toward the circular light. 

"_It's the Mark of Samael…"_

He stopped at the corner, surveying the area. After assuming it was clear, he inched his way toward the brightly glowing crest.

"What's going on…?"

He heard Cybil whisper from behind. Before he could answer, Alessa stepped from the shadows, standing on the opposite side of the circle.

"Please," he started helplessly, "give me back my little girl…"

She extended an arm, reaching out toward him-

-and he was suddenly sailing backward by a mystical force, landing flat on his back.

A force field appeared around the child, and she lowered her head and shuffled to the center of the mark. 

Harry felt something vibrating in his coat pocket, and he reached in and pulled out a now ember glowing Flauros. It started spinning, levitating in thin air.

"Huh…? What is this?"

Pure white beams of light shot from the floating trinket, and Alessa emitted a high pitched scream. The force field disappeared, the child falling to the ground.

"Where's Cheryl," He started sternly, speaking to Alessa.

"Give me back my daughter." 

Cybil came to help him to his feet, both turning to the sound of shrill cackling. 

It was Dahlia, who loomed over the child, speaking gravely, "We meet at last, Alessa."

She sucked her breath in quickly, taken by surprise.

"_Dahlia Gillespie…!"_

Harry stepped forward, narrowing his eyes at the old woman.

"Where's Cheryl? Where is she!"

Dahlia ignored him, seemingly oblivious. 

"Alessa. It's time to stop this foolish game. Your little free roam of the town is over."

"Mama…" She squealed, squirming to get away from the old woman.

"_Huh? So Dahlia is…"_

"You've been a _ghastly_ little pest haven't you Alessa?" She barked, now scaring the child.

"I was careless, thinking you couldn't escape from our spell. But mommy didn't know how much you'd grown!"

She looked up at Harry, smiling as she spoke the next sentence.

"_That's_ why I couldn't catch you all by myself."

"Hey!" Harry yelled, "What are you talking about!"

Instead of answering she turned and grabbed hold of Alessa's ankle.

"Alessa my dear little girl, there's one more thing left for you to do for me."

"No, get away from me!" Alessa cried, Dahlia quickly overpowering her.

"Bad girl!" She brought the back of her hand across the child's face.

"Everything is ready so its time to go home now…"

She pulled her closer, and they both slowly disappeared from sight in a giant cloud of purple light, the Mark slowly fading out.

"I can't believe it…" Harry whispered, looking at what his hands had done.

"It was Dahlia all along! That poor girl was trying to _help_ me!"

Cybil's eyebrows were furrowed, and she scratched her head in frustration.

"What do we do now? We cant possibly follow them." She said.

"The hospital, maybe Lisa can-"

He stopped as waves of pain crashed into his skull, quickly bringing him to his knees. He heard Cybil saying something to him, but all he could hear was his heart beat reverberating in his eardrums. 

Finally his vision became blurry, and he collapsed to the ground as the world spun to black. 


	15. Chapter 14: Nowhere

chapter 14: nowhere

"Harry…?"

He opened his eyes, finding himself propped on a hospital bed. Lisa was in a chair in front of him, twisting her hands nervously. He noticed that the walls were decrepit and covered in blood and rust- a bad sign.

"Lisa? What happened…? Where's Alessa and Dahlia?" He asked, suddenly remembering the confrontation in the amusement park. 

She brought a finger to her lips, speaking more softly.

"Harry, listen. Something you said before…its been bothering me. I just cant get it out of my head."

Harry leaned forward, confused at her sudden change in mood.

He asked, "What is it?"

She looked down to the ground, her eyes searching.

"Alright, I went to look in the basement, even though I was scared as hell. Like you said there were all these creepy rooms, but nothing really unusual down there. But while I was down there I got this weird feeling."

"What do you mean?" He interrupted.

"Like…Like I'd been there before." She said, locking eyes with him. She looked pale and worried, like a frightened animal.

"It's almost like something happened, but I cant quite remember somehow. What was it?"

She shook her head, her voice now trembling.

"Harry…Help me…I'm so scared, I cant take this."

She grabbed her head, shaking it back and forth as if trying to remember. He tried to comfort her.

"Relax, it's only a temporary thing. You must be in shock from when you were knocked out."

He leaned forward, trying to lighten his tone.

"Don't fret about it, you'll remember after a while."

She swatted his hand away, standing up quickly.

"No! You don't understand!" She said, her voice suddenly very angry. She stormed out from the exam room, never even looking back.

"Wait! Where are you going?!"

She didn't respond, and he was suddenly alone. 

"_Lisa…"_

He felt slight vibrations under his feet, and just then realized the horrible, grinding sound that was invading his eardrums. 

"_Damn! What's that?"_

He looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. Finally he was looking at the floor.

"_That sound…From down there…It's coming from the basement…"_

There was now only one door in the examination room, the one Lisa had escaped from, and so he followed her. It opened to a single metal pathway that extended into darkness. 

The grinding noise became louder, and he looked down only to be faced with more abysmal darkness. Even though his flashlight was on, he could still only see the path he was walking on.

"_This isn't the hospital…Where am I?"_

He kept moving forward, an old brass service elevator coming into view. He was still several feet away when the doors slides open, seeming to beckon him.

"_I'm being summoned…"_

He started moving forward again, this time much slower.

"_What happened in this town…? What could possibly be making things like this? I have a feeling if I take the elevator down, I'll find it…_

…_Cheryl…"_

The elevator stopped at the destination, whatever it may be, and the doors proceeded to open again. The room ahead was dark, but he spied several doors down the corridor, where it sharply turned left. The rumbling had stopped, which he was thankful for.

He stepped from the elevator, the laughter of a child making him jump out of his skin. He saw an apparition of a young Alessa skipping down the hallway, vanishing as she reached him. 

He regained his posture, starting to jiggle some of the doorknobs that he passed, all of which were either jammed or broken. 

The first one that opened was a sight that shocked him as he found himself right back at the Green Lion, Dahlia's antique shop. He didn't bother to rummage through the junk, but instead turned to a massive grandfather clock. 

He noticed that one of the hands was a key, and he smashed the glass faceplate of the antiquity to reach it. A strange word, Ophiel, was carved into the handle. He stuck it in his pocket, leaving the familiar territory.

Back in the demented hall, he finished checking the doors down the corridor, all but two jammed. One was locked, the word Ophiel embossed in bronze underneath the knob. The other door opened, leading to a long staircase downward.

"_Great, basements are fun…"_

He decided to go ahead and check the dark recesses of the basement before moving on by unlocking the door, so he took each step carefully until he was faced with the door at the bottom. 

He was unusually nervous, previous areas he had explored had made him more cautious before entering a new room. Especially when Silent Hill had manifested into the horrible Otherworld. It opened without sound, this room also making him stop in disbelief. 

By some cruel joke, he was back at Midwich, standing in one of the classrooms. The room was clear aside from a single desk placed neatly in the center of the room. It was the same one that had the nasty writing carved into it.

"_Alessa…"_

He saw another door at the end of the ominous classroom, and he hurried over to it. Locked.

He checked the desk before he left, this time finding it completely empty. Before he could place his hand on the doorknob, he heard chanting of children. He looked back, suddenly in a different place and time. 

He saw children, all girls and all wearing the same navy blue school dress, were tossing paper and notebooks at one particular girl with short black hair. She looked to be maybe six years old. 

They were screaming at her, calling her things like "witch" and "Thief" and "Demon". He couldn't believe it, and as soon as the little premonition started it was over, the classroom as silent as ever. He blinked, still contemplating if he had just seen the sight that had unfolded before him.

"_She's trying to tell me something…"_

He left the room, ascending much more quickly than coming down. He used the key of Ophiel, tossing it aside after opening the door. 

There was another corridor, this one stretching about twelve feet ahead and ended abruptly to his right. There was a stone tablet mounted to the wall, something peculiar carved into it. He moved closer, using his flashlight to get a closer inspection. 

**The Grim Reapers List**

_Names engraved on a lithograph_

_The Grim Reapers List_

_Yes, the headcount is set_

_Young and old lined up in order of age_

_Then the pathway opens_

_Awaiting them the frenzied uproar_

_The feast of death!_

Underneath was a list of people and their ages.

Lydia Findly- 35

Trevor F. White- 60

Albert Lords- 18

Roberta T. Morgan- 40

Edward Briggs- 24

Next to it was a door with a circular crest. The alphabet was embedded at the bottom, going around the length of it.

"_I bet that list could help me with that"_

He re-read it, seeing that the script mentioned a headcount in order of age had been set. If that was the case, then the order was Albert, Lydia, Edward, Roberta, and then Trevor. But how could he enter that into the prehistoric keyboard? What should he enter?

He finally decided to just type the first letter of each of their names, the code then being 'ALERT'. He tried it, and surprised even himself when the door unlocked.

"_Not bad Harry…"_

He saw it was a tiny storeroom, with double doors directly across from him. Seeing nothing of interest, he moved quickly toward the other doors, opening them to a fearful sight. He almost turned away, realizing it was the morgue. 

All the containers were closed, but toward the back of the tomb were two gurneys, both home to a corpse under a thin white sheet. That's what had initially scared him. He did see, however, a key sitting on a table, and he snatched it up. 

It had Hagith engraved on it, and he pocketed it before leaving. He was halfway across the storeroom when a soft, gentle voice from the corner startled him.

"Harry…"

He turned, seeing Lisa standing in the corner. She looked pale, and her eyes had lost some sort of light to them. She looked dead to be honest.

"Lisa, what's the matter with you?"

She just started nodding her head, looking as if dread and realization had set it.

"I get it now…" She whispered.

He muttered "What…?"

She looked back up at him, trying to give him a half smile that also lacked emotion.

"Why I'm still alive even though everyone else is dead…I'm not the only one who's still walking around…" He voice began to quiver toward the end.

"_No…no it couldn't be…Not Lisa too…"_

A single tear slid down her cheek.

"I'm…the same as them, I just hadn't noticed it before…"

"Lisa…" He said quietly, hoping to be able to tell her something comforting. What _could _he do? Silent Hill had already thrown more curves that defied the laws of reality, he couldn't possibly think of anything to help the poor, pitiful nurse.

"Stay by me Harry…please. I'm so scared. Help me…" She was sobbing now, both of them already knowing that he couldn't stay with her, especially now. 

She began walking toward him, extending her arms as if to hug him.

"Save me from them…Please…Harry…"

She started crying out loud, Harry backing away slowly in horror. He pushed her away, Lisa stumbling and stopping at the back wall, looking off into another time and place.

She kept her eyes locked on him, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth as a blood drop slid smoothly from the top of her head down by her eye, under her nose, and dripping off her lip. 

She started staggering toward him again, trying to keep a smile even though her eyes showed she was in extreme pain. More blood began to pour from her head and face, seemingly every pore starting to burst and bleed and it had soon covered her face and drenched her white blouse. 

Harry finally felt the door behind him, not able to take his eyes away as this woman he had sat and talked and felt comfortable to be with was dying before him, still sobbing and reaching out for his help. 

He opened the door and quickly exited the room, hearing her bang on the door repeated times as he barricaded it, feeling his own emotions running high until finally it all stop, and it was quiet again. He slid to his knees, his face burrowed in his hands.

"_Lisa…"_

He couldn't believe it, the only person he'd met in the hellish world, and she was now gone. He opened the door, peeking in. He saw no trace of the nurse, only a diary lying open on the floor. He walked over to it, seeing her name on the cover.

_Asked doctor Kaufmann to let me quite being in charge of that patient. It's too weird. Still alive, but with wounds that wont heal._

_Told the doctor I quit. I won't work at that hospital anymore. The room is filled with insects, even with the windows and doors shut. _

_Feeling bad. Need to throw up. Nothing comes out, vomiting only bile. Blood and pus flow from the bathroom faucet. I try to stop it, but it won't turn off._

_Need Drug._

It ended suddenly. He left the parchment there, pondering the thoughts of her last entry.

It was a sad tale, but it was no telling how much time Cheryl had left. He had to find her. He left the storeroom and searched this corridor, seeing a door marked with PHALEG and another marked with HAGITH. 

He used the key he'd found in the morgue, the door opening into a small patient room. There was a TV/VCR and a newspaper, both sitting on a table. On top was a thick book, already opened to a page.

**White Claudia**

Perennial herb found near water. Reaches heights of ten to fifteen inches. Oblong leaves, white blossoms. Seeds contain hallucinogen. This hallucinogenic effect was key in ancient religious ceremonies.

He moved it aside, thinking that White Claudia was the drug from Alchemilla more than likely. The newspaper had a couple of interesting articles.

_**Investigation stalled! PTV dealers still at large**_

_Suspicious deaths continue in Silent Hill. Like the anit-drug mayor, a narcotics officer (Thomas Gucci) dies of sudden heart failure. Unknown origin._

The next read:

**Devastating fire strikes Old Silent Hill**

_Fire broke out in town, destroyed six homes. Charred body of Alessa Gillespie (7) rescued by a lone truck driver and picked up at the front of the child's home. Cause of fire currently under investigation. Source shows the antiquated boiler in the Gillespie home malfunctioned and caused the blaze. _

He saw the videotape on top of the TV, and inserted it into the VCR. After a few moments the screen lit up, and he could now see Lisa's image, her head hung low as she sat at a meeting table. The camera was focused right on her, and she began speaking to an unseen figure.

"_What is it? Still has an unusually high fever. Eyes don't open. Getting a pulse, but just barely breathing. Her skin is all charred! Even when I change the bandages the blood and pus just start oozing through! Why?! What is keeping that child alive? I…can't stand it any longer… I won't tell a soul, promise. So please…"_

He saw next to where the tape had set was the key of Phaleg. He picked it up then left the confined space. 

He used the key, the door opening to the long stretch of hallway in resembling the one from the basement of Alchemilla, with the rooms full of weird shit. 

The first two doors on either side were locked, and he moved to the next set. One was jammed, but the other opened. He froze, his eyes moving around the floor and walls slowly. Graffiti was everywhere, written in thick black marker. 

It consisted of different doodles and child drawings, most of it illegible. Crying directed to his attention to under a desk in the corner of the room, seeing Alessa huddled up and sobbing into her knees. 

She was sad and alone, and she disappeared soon after he saw her, leaving behind another key. He moved over and picked it up, seeing the word Araton carved on to it. He stuck it in his pocket-

-and saw the figure of Alessa scribbling on the wall, her movements fast and inhuman. She turned and looked directly at Harry, then just vanished. 

He left the suddenly creepy room, and saw the door next down the hall was ARATON. He unlocked it using the key, stepping into a secret meeting from the past, back in the small room they kept Alessa in. 

There were four figures, all of them transparent, standing around the bed. Alessa was under the sheets, bloodstains dotting it.

"Everything is going according to plan, sheltered in the womb." He heard Dahlia, not realizing it was her at first. She looked drastically younger, at the least five years. 

"But it isn't done yet…" A foreign doctor standing at the head of the bed replied, a light accent to his tone. 

"Half the soul is lost, that's why the seed lies dormant." He heard the voice of Kaufmann say, sounding younger himself.

"And what soul remains captured in that husk is buried deep down in the subconscious." Replied the second doctor, standing at the foot of the bed. 

"Are you saying it wont work?! That wasn't our agreement!" Kaufmann barked, turning to Dahlia. 

"No no no, these are just stalling tactics. If we lend a hand, we will be able to get power. Never fear, the promise shall not be broken!" She replied back to him, her voice trying to sound convincing.

"But," the first doctor started, "the power we could draw now would be very weak; almost nothing…unless. We must get the other half of the soul."

There was a silence, everyone eyeing Dahlia. She looked up, noticing, and said

"We'll use a summoning spell! Hearing this child's pain, it's sure to come."

There was a sort of silent agreement. Kaufmann said solemnly

"But that will take time…"

And with that, they all disappeared. He spotted a tiny silver key next to her picture, and picked it up. It was unlabeled, but he kept it anyway, and then left the chamber.

The last two doors came into view from the darkness, and he tried the one on the left. It opened into a deteriorated kitchen, with a giant freezer directly ahead. He saw nothing of use on the counters, and was startled by a banging inside the freezer.

He stared at it a moment and whatever it was inside started moving around again, thrusting so hard the entire freezer started rocking. The door to it flung open, and a tentacle came snaking out, wrapping quickly around his ankle.

It pulled him to the ground and instantly started dragging him toward the dark recess of the dank freezer. He let out a strangled cry, drawing the handgun and firing inside. He heard a high-pitched squeal, and dark blood spurted onto the tiled floor. 

His flashlight started to flicker, and he was instantly terrified at the thought of it dying out. It began to slowly get continuously dimmer, and he fired toward the thick, red tentacle, the part wrapped around his ankle detaching from the rest. 

It jerked back inside, and he scrambled to his feet and stumbled to the door. He heard it growl, and was out in a flash. 

As he staggered into the corridor the radio started emitting white noise, and the flashlight died. He froze, looking down the hall. 

He could barely make out a gurney against the wall about four feet away, everything else lost in darkness. He then heard something dreadful, something that made his stomach deflate and his heart sink. 

The loud grinding sound of metal on metal. The giant knife wielded by…Pyramid Head. He inched over to the door across the hall, and was panic-stricken as the knob didn't even turn. It couldn't be possible! The flashlight came back on in a flash-

-and he saw the huge weapon being thrust in his direction. He ducked to the ground, slouching into the corner. The enormous blade sliced into the metal wall, and Harry open fired on the monster. It groaned a sound so grotesque it gave him the shivers. 

It couldn't get the weapon from the wall, and it quickly closed the gap between them, grabbing Harry by the neck.

Its 'head' was inches from his, and the creature reeked of blood and death. He kicked its muscular chest, the blows actually making his toes throb.

He started to get blotches in his vision as Pyramid Head lifted him up against the wall, causing him to spit and cough. Finally his foot went up close to the throat of the monster, and the end of his shoe went through the bottom of the helmet with a sickening _squish_. 

It dropped him, thick rivulets of black fluid oozing down the torso. He rattled the knob to the door again, reclaiming the handgun he had dropped previously. 

The thing grabbed the handle of the giant blade again, this time pulling once more with much force, the sword coming out of the destroyed wall.

It swung the weapon around this time, Harry diving to the ground as it obliterated the door he had been trying to open. He was surprised, and horrified, when he realized it only let to a child's bedroom, probably Alessa's by the look of things. 

He saw on the floor in front of him was a tiny box for personal items. Alessa's name was carved on it, and he quickly opened it. Inside was a blue gem, something that looked like a rare Channeling Stone he had read about during his investigations for new novel material, a legend going that it could absorb the souls of devils. 

He snatched it up, the tiny jewel glowing brightly as the maniac Pyramid Head stepped closer.

"_Its getting warmer…"_

The monster stepped back, blue energy bolts flowing into it. He roared, a sound worse than death-

-and the creature was just gone, his weapon all that was left. He took in a deep breath, for the first time feeling truly safe that it was gone for good. 

He tried lifting the Great Knife, but found it to be way to heavy. He explored the child's room some more, finding various things including a scattered deck of cards, collection of butterfly specimens, and coloring books.

"_Poor kid…"_

He saw her school outfit hanging on the wall, and he remembered the vivid flashback he had experienced in the classroom. There was a blue door opposite the one he had come through, and it was locked.

He tried the silver key, thankful that it unlocked. It opened to a quaint little corridor of an old house, the wooden floorboards creaking and moaning. 

He saw a staircase going down and two doors up ahead. The figures of Alessa and Dahlia appeared the both of them apparently struggling. Dahlia had a hold of Alessa's wrists, trying to drag her toward the steps. 

"Come! Come along!"

"No!"

She kept tugging at her, pulling hard at her small arms.

"No!" She cried, "I don't want to!"

"Do what mommy tells you now!" 

Alessa pulled away, landing roughly on her bottom.

"I only want a teeny bit of your power, that's all!" Dahlia muttered, flustered and aggravated. 

"No! I don't wanna do it!" She replied back, tears now streaming down her face.

Dahlia placed her hands on her hips, saying

"It will make everyone happy, and its for your _own_ good too…"

The little girl smacked her knees with her hands, persisting to argue.

"Oh, but mommy I just want to be with you! Just two of us, please understand…"

Dahlia was already shaking her head, a disgusted look on her face.

"Maybe mommy has been wrong…There's no reason to wait, why didn't I see this before? 'Herein lies the mother's womb, containing the power to create life'…I could have done it all myself!"

Alessa looked confused, but ultimately was terrified at this new direction her mother was going.

"Mommy?"

Both apparitions disappeared, and he was left alone. 

"_This must be the Gillespie home…"_

He checked both doors, finding both jammed. Only the long stretch of stairs remained, descending into darkness.

"_I've come this far, I can't give up on Cheryl now…"_

He checked to make sure the gun was loaded, and started the trip down to his destiny.


	16. Chapter 15: Final Conflict

chapter 15: final conflict

chapter 15: final conflict

His flashlight was almost no help, for the sheer vastness of the room was immersive. The darkness felt like it surrounded him, engulfed him, yet he knew not to be afraid because something important was here. He heard voices in the distance, both female, and moved closer to the mysterious sounds. Finally he could make out Dahlia, and see a scene unfolding nearby.

"I was shocked to realize the talisman of Metraton was being used." She said enthused, the eccentric woman speaking to none other than Cybil Bennett. He saw between them a bundle sitting propped in a wheelchair; the figure covered in bandages and horribly disfigured. It was a girl, and by her size maybe about fourteen.

She looked like she was clinging to the last moments of life. Crouched at the foot of the wheelchair was a little girl wearing the old navy school dress, and realized that if Alessa was in the chair, then the girl was…

"_Cheryl!"_

Dahlia continued, and Harry kept quiet.

"In spite of the 'Lost Soul' returning at last, a little longer and all this would've been for naught! It's all because of that _man_. We must be _thankful_ to him." She sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm."

He saw Cybil was standing motionless, her handgun trained on the babbling old hag. He hoped everything would keep going smooth until he could figure out how to snatch up Cheryl.

She continued, "Even though Alessa has been stopped, his little girl still has to go. _What_ a pity!" She chuckled, the sound full of evil and hate and making Harry go rigid with anger.

Dahlia made a sudden move toward the girl, Cybil reacting quickly.

"Freeze!"

She fired, the bullet disintegrating in thin air, hitting an invisible barrier.

"What in the devil's name…" Cybil muttered, mortified and frozen. She was suddenly struck in the gut by an unseen force, all of the air in her lungs escaping in a loud _oof!_ She sprawled to the ground, unconscious. Harry stepped forward, confronting the old witch.

"Dahlia!"

She turned and looked at him, a smug smile covering her face.

"Well well well, to think someone like you would make it this far."

"Is that Cheryl?! What have you done to her?!" He demanded, shaking his finger at her.

She looked truly surprised, replying "What are you talking about? "You've seen her many times, restored to her 'former self'."

He shook his head vehemently, saying quickly "I am in _no_ mood for your little jokes!"

She cocked her head.

"Don't you see?" She pointed to the girl in front of the wheelchair, bound and gagged.

"She's right there…"

"_No…its not possible!"_

He looked at the girl, shaking his head.

"That's absurd!" He replied, feeling weak.

"You're the only one who thinks so…" Dahlia responded coldly.

"Why? Why did you do that to her? Why are you doing this?" He asked, he voice trembling slightly.

She furrowed her eyebrows.

"It's been a very long seven years…" She said, drifting off.

"For the seven years since that terrible day Alessa has been kept alive, suffering a fate even worse than death! Alessa has been trapped in an endless nightmare from which she never awakens!"

Harry was struggling to comprehend, saying "I don't understand."

She smiled.

"_He_ has been nurtured by that nightmare, waiting for the day to be born. That day has finally come. The time is now! Everyone will be released from pain and suffering. Our…our salvation is at hand! This is the day of reckoning, when all our sorrows will be washed away, when we return to the true paradise!"

She started to raise her hands, speaking louder and louder.

"My daughter will be the mother of God!"

A burst of pure white light exploded from Alessa, engulfing Cheryl. It got brighter and brighter, both of them backing away the transformation occurred. It flashed-

-and was gone, in its place now a glowing, opaque figure of a girl in a beautiful white gown, her hair long and flowing. Her face was bright, to perfect to even see clearly. It was a tear-jerking sight, both half's of Alessa's soul now reunited to create the mother of God.

A gun shot run out, and blood spewed from Dahlia's abdomen. She cried out, falling to the ground in pain. Harry turned as footsteps resounded through the chamber, seeing the doctor from Alchemilla stopping beside Harry.

"Quite screwing around! Return things to how they were before!"

"Kaufmann!" Harry yelled, but he paid him no mind as he continued to shout at the fallen Dahlia.

"Did I ask for this? Nobody uses me! You won't get away with this…"

She looked up, still holding her side and grimacing in pain.

"Your role is over, we don't need you anymore. What do you think you can accomplish by coming here?" She said proudly.

"My, aren't we getting cocky huh? Bet you can't see this and keep your cool…"

He reached into a pocket of his coat, pulling out a red vial. He held it up high, the light from Alessa catching it.

"Aglaophotis! I thought I got rid of that!"

Kaufmann laughed.

"All I had to do was plant another sample for you to find. I knew you'd check my office, so I left it in the desk." He chuckled.

"You're easy, and there's more where _this _came from!"

He reared back, Dahlia crying out feebly

"Stop it!!"

He chucked it hard, everything seemingly slowing down. The small red vial spun in the air as if in slow motion, all eyes on the glass tube as it flew on a crash course toward an unaware Alessa.

It shattered, the red liquid covering her. She screamed in agony, her light burning out. She covered her head with her hands, shaking and moving erratically.

"_This isn't good. Something ain't right…"_

Dahlia started cackling maniacally, her body rocking while she threw her head back with uncontrollable laughter.

Kaufmann backed up quickly, speaking so fast Harry could barely hear him.

"What on Earth? That's not supposed to-"

Before he could finish Alessa crouched to the ground; a sickening _split_ echoing in the cavern. Blood began billowing out as something began to peel its way from her spine. Her gown fell off, leaving her exposed and dripping with blood. Red, sinewy wing popped out, followed slowly by a huge, throbbing torso.

The demon stretched, two long, straight horns protruding from the 'God's' head. Two long arms and legs were revealed, each tipped with fierce claws. Alessa crawled away and slumped to the ground, unmoving as Samael tore his way through her frail body. The demon was suddenly in the air, its huge wings blowing air down on Kaufmann and Harry.

In a great clasp of thunder a magical red lightning cloud showered down from the belly of the beast, igniting Dahlia ablaze. She screamed once more, this time the sound choking full of red hot pain. She lay her head down and died, quietly accepting fate.

A cloud started billowing up, filling his nostrils with the smell of burnt flesh. He heard the deafening roar of the thunder and realized he had to act fast- the next bolt might be aimed at him. He pulled up his handgun and open fired, the bullet making contact but having no effect. He saw some blood droplets fall, and realize that it wasn't enough.

He saw that Cybil was still oblivious to everything, lying sprawled several feet away. Kaufmann had fled, but dropped his tote bag in the process. He ran toward it-

-jumping back as an electrical bolt exploded the ground in front of him. He rolled as debris went flying, covering his head and face.

"_This is insane!"_

He scrambled back up, the beast flying closer toward him, hovering in midair above him. He grabbed the black tote and took of in a sprint, running near Cybil's body.

"Hey! Are you alright?!"

She didn't respond, only fluttering her eyelids for a moment.

"Damnit!" He said out loud, shuffling through the leather bag. There were mostly documents, nothing really of use inside the main pocket. He glanced up at the monster as the spawn form another ball of energy between its fists. He felt another vial of the Aglaophotis, as well as his revolver and spare magnum rounds.

"_That's what I need…"_

He loaded the gun quickly, the God swooping down in an aryl attack. He jumped, hearing the _swoosh_ and smelling the tainted flesh.

He dipped the barrel of the revolver inside the vial of Algaophotis, the end dripping as he pulled the hammer back and aimed at the fiery beast.

"You aren't a God…Go back to hell…"

He pulled the trigger, the first bullet searing through the shoulder of the winged demon. He repeated to shoot five more times, unloading the weapon into the monster. The tipped bullets seemed to have an amplified effect, and they brought it to ground. He put the last several bullets into the chamber, loading it back-

-but Samael swiped forward, sending the gun soaring across the air. He tossed the vial in a last ditch effort, and the monster moved at the last second. The liquid shattered, and suddenly Harry was defenseless again.

He saw by Dahlia's burnt remains there was a metal object, and it was the Flauros. He ran over and picked it up, dousing the bottom in the Aglaophotis.

"_What's there to lose…"_

He tossed the heavy object at the demon-beast, red tendrils snaking out from it as it collided. Samael started to disappear in red dusty particles, a howl piercing the sudden silence. It almost sounded like a child screaming followed by a deep growl. There was a second burst of white light, and he-it, was gone-

-and there was Alessa, looking around with a frightened look.

"Daddy…?"

"_Could it be?"_

Everything started to rumble, the chamber suddenly rocked with tremors. Several balls of flame fell from the sky, igniting the ground as they exploded. The ground was soon dotted with spots of fire, glowing that something from a Christmas scene.

The girl brought her arms in close, wrapping them around her hips. Harry watched in amazement as the hazy glow faded, and saw the girl raise up an infant, bundle in pink swaddling. The tremors worsened, and he was suddenly panic-stricken as he realized what was happening.

This would be the last time he'd see Cheryl, or Alessa. Whoever she was, it was still his daughter. And she was offering a baby, another child. How? Magical conjuration? Would she be evil, like Dahlia? Will she be like his Cheryl?

Alessa pleaded with her eyes, urging him to take the baby. He felt perspiration drip from his forehead, realizing now that the fire was coming in close. He knelt down, taking the oddly light bundle from her transparent arms. He stared at it for a moment, seeing that it was a beautiful baby girl. Her pale skin and dark eyes reminded him so much of his beloved daughter. She cooed, the sound so comforting in this place.

He smiled, a tear falling from his face and landing on her head. She looked scared for a second, then very serene. She closed her eyes, and amidst the chaos, was now fast asleep.

Alessa pointed toward the blackness, Harry seeing a light appear far in the distance. An exit… The child had made him an exit. _His _child. She looked up at him, then back at the light that she had created. She said all she needed to without muttering a single word.

"_A second chance. Take it and run or simply die…"_

He looked down at the baby, then Alessa and back to the baby. This was it. He took several steps, looking back again. He saw her manage a smile, closing her eyes as she gave him a single nod. Cybil began to stir, waking up as the whole chamber was erupting into fire. Harry saw her up ahead, walking slowly toward the light.

"Cybil!" He called out.

She turned, her face lighting up.

"Harry! You're okay!" She looked at the baby, then up to Harry with a look of questioning.

"Is it…?" She started. He couldn't answer. He looked down, then up to Cybil's worried face.

"It isn't…Cheryl…But she's my daughter…"

She smiled, putting her arm around his shoulder.

"That's what you were looking for right?" He chuckled, a light coming up inside his eyes.

"Yeah…yeah it is…"

They heard footsteps come up, and saw it was Kaufmann.

"We've got to get out of here!" He screamed, limping badly and holding an injury to his arm. Harry noticed Lisa coming up quietly behind him, still covered in blood. She wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him back.

"What the-! Lisa?! Get off me!"

She glanced over at Harry, approval painting her face, and she dragged him down into the blackness of the Otherworld, where both would probably remain for eternity.

Cybil looped her arm around Harry's, ushering him to move.

"Lets go!"

They started sprinting, an explosion showering a cloud of fireballs overhead.

"We wont make it!" Cybil cried. Harry held the baby tight, closing his eyes as certain death approaching-

-and they never hit, simply suspended in mid air. They looked up, the blackness dotted with flaming shrapnel. Both looked back and saw Alessa with a single arm raised, staring at them with concentration.

Harry smiled, Cybil pulling him away before he could stay any longer. They both regained their sprint toward the light, getting closer and closer as the tremors started to make everything collapse.

Alessa lay facedown on the cool steel, waiting as long as she could, hopefully when the two 'good people' in town were out, before destiny could start again.


	17. Epilogue: BitterSweet

epilogue: bitter-sweet

The misty fog felt good on Harry's damp skin, the silent streets going by in a blur. The portal had somehow taken them to the start of the alley way he had seen Cheryl in the first time, and they ran all the way back till they reach his jeep, only stopping so he could catch his breath.

"What…just…happened…"

Cybil was gasping for breath, clutching her leg when they stopped. The baby was still miraculously asleep, sucking its thumb in a timed rhythm.

"I think its over… I think we made it…" He looked up the cliff that he had tumbled down when he first arrived, then checking the map. He could take Bachman Road out through the tunnel ahead and reach that road, which was an interstate, and get the hell out of Silent Hill.

"We can get out through there." He said, showing her the map.

"It's a hike…" She said, almost dreadfully.

"My jeep isn't going anywhere, and I doubt your bike is either…"

She looked up, remembering something.

"Maybe the com radio on my bike will work, we can get some help outta here!" Harry smiled.

"Let's go."

They made their way through the tunnel and on the long stretch of road, seeing her bike ditched to the side against the dented guardrail. She ran over and picked up the smashed console, clearly no hope of the battered radio to work.

"That's alright, I don't care how but I just want to get as far from here as possible."

Cybil nodded.

"Your right, and since the road is gone we can always go back through-" She stopped when she noticed Harry looking at her with a peculiar gaze.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He pointed to the road, "What do you me the road is gone?"

She looked over, then back to Harry.

"Um, if you haven't noticed the endless ravine up the road then…" She drifted off, seeing face go as white as the fog.

"Harry, your scaring me…What's wrong…?"

His finger was now shaking, the arm holding the baby trembling as well.

"Cybil…the road is just fine…"

She shook her head.

"What are you saying…?"

He scratched the back of his head, then started walking. He was coming close to the edge of the break, inches from falling into the bottomless chasm-

-and he just kept going, walking simply on thin air. He looked back.

"See…?" He whispered.

She knelt down, sticking her arm down into the ravine. Harry was shocked to see her arm go easily through the road, even hearing scraping sounds and little pebbles flaking off. He blinked as a flash of something went across his eyes.

On his way here, he saw her motorcycles wrecked on the side of the road, just moments after seeing her. But her body was nowhere to have been seen, and she didn't just hike to Silent Hill in five seconds. He blinked again, this time seeing himself driving again.

She passed him, looking over just as before. Only this time she didn't have on any sunglasses, and her blue eyes looked worried somehow.

She passed up ahead, and he soon saw the wrecked bike up ahead. And there he saw it, her body pinned under the vehicle. She wasn't moving, but there was no need to. The wheel had sliced cleanly through her throat, almost completely decapitating her. There was no time to slow down and call for help, cause Alessa stepped out and caused him to wreck.

He opened his eyes, seeing Cybil now standing and staring back at him.

A blood droplet tricked down from her neck, and she looked down.

"Harry…"

He couldn't believe it.

"I understand…" She managed to mutter.

"Cybil…wait…" She stuck up her hand.

"Go on, get outta here. I think I'm gonna take a look around."

She started walking back up the road, leaving a trail of blood. She soon disappeared in the fog, and he saw her corpse under the bike.

"_Thank you…Cybil…"_

He clutched the baby and ran, his future shrouded with uncertainty and confusion. But he had gotten his daughter back. He had finished what he wanted all along here, and it was time to go home. He had to call the child something.

"…_**Cheryl…"**_


End file.
